Vices
by Atemusluckygal
Summary: The Seal of Orichalcos is much more dangerous than a spell card, its agenda much grander than a game. Rated M for mature content (TW inside). Contains subplot Revolutionshipping, discussed Peachshipping.
1. PART I: The Village of Sun

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!.**

Alright guys, here's a new original! It definitely started out simpler, shorter, and... well... lighter, but this is what came out. And it goes into **dark** territory. Like, Death Note meets Breaking Bad meets Game of Thrones meets the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga vibe.

This story is rated M: for cursing and sensitive, mature content. Basically, if you're already iffy about sensitive material, I'd steer clear of this one. But, if you're into it, you'll have a great time (I hope)!

My goal was to put these characters in the "real" adult world, within the events of this arc. I know I've done something like this before, but I'm taking it to deeper, darker levels this time. The Seal of Orichalcos is represented as some kind of powerful, mystical drug which Yami abuses pretty heavily. He goes through a lot of 'highs' (and 'lows') that typically come from hallucinogens, stimulants, and performance enhancers. Also, his relationship with Téa has a wider dynamic range and could be considered more toxic than any other of my depictions of it. They go through a lot together; as it suits the overarching plot, their relationship is an ever changing, ever expanding force of nature. That's all I can say without giving anything away. :-)

Basically, I've upped the despair to angst-ronomical levels. Heh. Do you see what I did there?

* * *

CW: strong language, substance abuse, explicit sexual content, sexual assault, suicidal behavior/implications, death/dying, violence, physical abuse, psychological abuse, cult reference, religious fundamentalism

* * *

 **Vices  
** PART I: The Village of Sun

by Atemusluckygal

The train jolted on the tracks as it raced down the steep mountainside at unsustainable speeds. Téa threw her hands out to keep her balance. Yami—with an unconscious Weevil Underwood lying limp at his feet—met her eyes and confirmed what he feared to be true: their time was almost up. As soon as he opened his mouth to tell her to jump for it, he was suddenly thrown back against the hard roof as the car whipped through a sharp turn and jerked to the left. Thinking fast, he grabbed the kid by the back of his sweater and chucked him off the car to safe ground as hard as he could.

As he struggled to find his footing again, Téa grabbed his wrist and pulled him up, and they dashed towards the cliff as the car tumbled off the tracks. They leapt for it, but Yami realized too late that he was too far from the edge to make it. The only thing keeping them from following the train car to their demise was Téa's hand catching a small, dry weed branch protruding from the side of the chasm, with Yami dangling by the wrist in her other hand with a five hundred foot plummet beneath his feet.

Téa gritted her teeth as their momentum swung them from side to side, painfully stretching her arm and shoulder. The branch would not be able to sustain the weight of the both of them for long. "Pharaoh!" Téa called down to him over the roar of the high-altitude desert winds. "Are you alright?"

Yami looked back at her, sharp winds tossing his bangs. "Yes, but if we don't think of something, we're both done for!" He tightened his hold on her, and the branch in her other hand began to stretch off the cliff wall. She turned her head to the side, searching the area for a way out. The branch shifted again, making her stomach lurch.

The pharaoh called her attention back to him. "Téa, there's only one way out of this, and we both know it!" He looked her dead in the eye. "You must let me go!"

Téa's eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you _crazy_?!"

"You can climb up to safety if I'm not weighing you down!"

She shook her head furiously. "No _way_ am I'm letting you go, Pharaoh!"

Yami held firm. "You _have_ to! If you don't, we will both die!"

She tightened her hand tightened on him, despite the strain on her tendons. "I'm not saving myself by letting you die!"

"Don't be foolish, Téa! Go now and save yourself! You're better off without me, I've caused nothing but trouble for you and everyone else!" He turned his head away shamefully. "And Yugi—"

"No!" Téa cut him off sharply, "Don't be ridiculous! Your friends love you and need you, and that includes me _and_ Yugi! I'm not letting you go and that's that! I'll get us out of here, I'll pull us up—"

Wasting no time on warning her, Yami suddenly released her wrist. Her weakening hold was the only thing keeping him suspended now, and she felt as if she were fighting both him and the very force of gravity itself for his life.

"What are you doing you _idiot_?!" she demanded incredulously.

"If you won't, then I will do it for you!" He looked at her with heart-wrenching finality in his eyes. "Téa… I'm sorry for everything. This is goodbye!"

"NO!" she screamed. "I won't let you!" She glanced back at the branch just as more roots began to loosen and break. "If you go, I go too!"

"Téa, don't—!"

"Look," she jerked her head to her right, "there's a foothold over there that should be able to support you. If you help me, I can swing you onto it, and we will both get out of here! Just grab onto me before I drop you… I can't hold on much longer!"

Yami looked away, looking conflicted but making no move either way. Téa's view of his face blurred from the angry tears growing in her eyes. Her voice was grated with desperation as her hand was about to give out. "Do it _now_!"

As if her voice were a punishing whip to his back, Yami obeyed, adding security to their tether. Gathering her nerves, Téa swung her shoulder to the right as hard as she could, letting him fall back to gain momentum. With another groan, she threw her shoulder again, trying hard to ignore the immense aching in her arm.

"Just a little harder," she panted. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead and into her eyes, but she blinked them away and ignored the sting. Yami was only one more swing away from being able to reach the small ridge.

"Almost there!" he called as he stretched his arm for the next swing.

 _Snap!_

Yami's hand was only a mere arm's length away from the foothold when it fell away. Téa's support branch came completely loose, and the two began their deadly descent, screaming as they plummeted down the chasm. Their velocity was too great, and there was nothing to catch them but scattered trees and unforgiving solid earth beneath patches of dry grass. The next thing Téa felt was a blow to the back of her head, a few seconds of dull, throbbing pain fading away, and then nothing at all.

* * *

Yami gasped as he sat up with a start. It was that same nightmare again—a vision from the past. Guardian Eatos—Rafael's ace monster—skillfully struck the ground with her Celestial Sword, sending a blaze of searing heat towards him, fueled by the vengeful hatred of his sacrificed allies, singeing the flesh from his bones… or at least, that's what it _felt_ like.

Digit by digit, his duel disk counter dropped to zero, 'dinging' as it hit the bottom. Rafael approached Yami, saying something he couldn't hear over the ringing in his ears, but it sounded both boastful and damning at the same time. Rafael stood tall and proudly before him with a satisfied smirk. As much as the pharaoh resented him, he had no strength left to defy him. After all, his soul was about to be taken as penalty for his cruel actions—what good was his pride going to do him now?

A pair of small hands pushed his back out of the Seal's ring just before the harvest, and Yugi…

"No! I won't let this happen to you!"

Sweet little Yugi, the sacrificial lamb, vanished into the neon green light before Yami realized what was happening or could do a thing to stop him. He left Yami with a gentle smile that would never stop haunting him.

 _It only needs one of us, so I'm letting the Seal take me instead._

The anguished pharaoh screamed for Yugi with a breaking voice as he grasped at his partner's fading spirit form, feeling only empty air where a warm spectral presence should've been. He searched the skies, looking for any way he could somehow chase down the light soul being ripped from his body before it could make its escape.

"Take me as well!" Yami roared furiously at the glowing green emblem in the sky. "Do it! Take my soul too, damn you!"

But the Seal of Orichalcos paid his demands no notice; it only retreated into the clouds storming above him, taking Yugi's soul with it, and leaving the beneficiary of his body on the mesa in Death Valley to collapse under the massive weight of his defeat.

Yami shuddered as he struggled to shake off the nightmare. He flattened his palm over his racing heart, breathing slowly to calm it down. Blinking, he focused his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in a small canvas tent, with a thick brown wool blanket covering him and lavender incense gently wafting into his nose. Téa, still unconscious, lied beside him. There was a cold compress beneath her head, half-buried by her tangled brown hair. Her facial muscles were slightly tensed.

As much as he would've preferred to let her sleep, Yami was growing too anxious to trust their new territory, and he needed both him and Téa to be ready to flee at a moment's notice. He gently nudged her shoulder.

"Téa?"

She groaned, but did not wake. He tried again. "Téa, wake up."

Moments later, Téa's eyes fluttered open, and she gasped as she sat up. "Whoa!" She grimaced as she touched her head where the cold compress had supported her. "Ow…"

"Are you alright?" Yami asked softly. It made him uneasy to see her in as much pain as she was, though he was nevertheless grateful that she was alive.

"Yeah," she muttered, rubbing her temples to soothe the headache. "I mean, I've definitely felt better, but nothing's broken or anything. What about you?"

The thought to assess himself hadn't occurred to Yami at all since he awoke. Bruises and scrapes here and there, including a slightly swollen lower lip and a deeper scratch over his abdomen—likely from the sharp edges of Millennium Puzzle sometime during the fall. His back and shoulders had taken a blow, as he felt quite sore in his neck and lower back just trying to stay upright. Nothing too serious, to his relief.

"I'm reasonably alright. We both got lucky, it seems."

"Yeah," Téa quietly agreed, observing their surroundings for the first time. "Where are we? Who saved us?"

The pharaoh's eyes narrowed. "I don't know. However, while whoever it was _did_ help us, we shouldn't assume that we are out of danger yet."

She tilted her head. "What makes you say that?"

He looked to the opening of the tent, where a sliver of sunlight sliced through. "Well, for one… no one has come in here since I came to. There's no telling if we are in good company or not." His gaze fell to his knees. "For another… I don't know how much time has passed since our train crashed. It is possible that Dartz and his cohorts have, by this point, figured that we are still alive, and with our souls intact. They already know that they captured the wrong soul, otherwise Dartz wouldn't have sent Weevil after us."

Téa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "So the person who saved us could also possibly be in danger as well."

Pharaoh Yami nodded. His brow lowered with his next thought, "Or, on the other hand, they could be working for Dartz, and are holding us captive. Either way, we'd be wise to stay alert. Don't assume that our 'savior' has the best intentions for us." He put his hand on her knee. "Stay here. I will go look around and see if I can find someone to talk to."

Téa stopped him with her hand on his forearm before he could move. Her bright azure eyes were firm. "You're not leaving me out of this. I'm coming too."

Yami shook his head, but made no move to remove her hand. "You need to stay and rest. It's too dangerous."

Téa scoffed as she released his arm with a sharp jerk. "You always say that."

Surprise briefly crossed his face at her aggression before it fell away. "And you always ignore me."

"And for good reason. You need the help."

Yami looked hard at her. "This isn't a game anymore, Téa. Too many people have been hurt from the actions of Dartz, his vassals, and myself. Including you. I…"—he paused, taking a deep breath to collect himself before he continued—"I've already failed to protect Yugi. I am not going to fail you as well." He patted her hand. "I promise, when the coast is clear, I will come back for you."

"I'm not a helpless damsel, Pharaoh," Téa simmered, folding her arms crossly. "You can't just hide me away and make me wait around, wondering when, or _if_ , you're going to fetch me. That's not how this works. We're a team. We've always been and we always will be."

Yami's fist clenched over the blanket covering his lap. "Téa, please be reasonable. I can very well recognize that you're not helpless. But you are hurt, and this doesn't even touch what harm our enemy could be capable of. It's a wonder that we even survived what we did, but we can't push our luck."

Téa tightened her crossed arms. "You keep saying 'we', but you really only mean me."

"It's for your own good."

She dropped her arms. "Yeah? And since when do you get to decide what is for my own good? For that matter, when was the last time you stopped to consider what was for _your_ own good? In case you've forgotten, _you_ are the only one who can defeat Dartz and save Yugi. You can't afford to blindly throw yourself into risky situations alone. What if you get hurt, or captured? Or… worse?"

The pharaoh opened his mouth to answer, but all he could produce were low stutters. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a fair point.

Her expression softened a bit. "Listen, I'll be fine. Let's go." She rose to her knees.

"Téa," Yami warned, but she waved him off.

"I'm not having this argument again," she replied curtly as she pushed the flaps of the tent open, framing Yami in a burst of sunlight. He acquiesced with a small sigh and followed her, raising a hand to shield his eyes.

Their shelter turned out to be one of several in a small village, isolated in a remote valley in the desert. Several dozen other homes scattered across the plains and lined alongside the bank of the small river dissecting the floor of the valley and stretching infinitely towards the hills. A few resident villagers carried out their outdoor chores and chatted casually with one another, while young children laughed and chased each other along the bank. They hadn't yet noticed Yami and Téa.

"Excuse me?" Téa called timidly. "Can someone please help us?"

An older woman, standing outside her own hut holding a basket of wheat, regarded them with delight. "Oh, they are awake!"

Another elder, a tribally-dressed woman with grey streaks in her long raven hair, hobbled up to them with the assistance of a wooden cane. "You had us worried!"

"Us?" Yami inquired.

"Yeah, where are we?" added Téa.

The elder bowed to them. "Pardon, my name is Myrtle, and you are in our Village of Sun, home of the descendants of the Military Society of Atlantis."

"Atlantis…" Yami echoed under his breath.

"Our fishermen found you by the broken train." She used a wrinkled finger to indicate the river behind them, and in the distance Yami and Téa could make out the fractured train tracks upon the cliff, where the train derailed. "You were both in terrible condition, and I did what I could to heal you. I hope you are not in too much pain."

"So _you_ were the one who took care of us," said Yami, clearly relieved. He and Téa bowed their heads. "We are very grateful. Thank you."

Myrtle graciously reciprocated their gesture. "It is my honor, Chosen Duelist."

Yami's eyes widened at that. "Did you say, 'Chosen Duelist'?"

"But of course, you are what the legend speaks of," Myrtle clarified, "when it tells of a brave warrior who will bring this to an end at last?"

Yami started back anxiously. "Bring what to an end?"

The woman sighed. "This age-old war."

"War…" Téa echoed.

"This war you're referring to," Yami began carefully, "does it, by chance, involve the Seal of Orchicalcos?"

Myrtle gravely met his eyes. "Involve? It has _everything_ to do with the Seal of Orichalcos. It is the enemy of our people. The first time it has struck a living civilization in recorded history was in the city of Atlantis, ten thousand years ago."

Téa and Yami exchanged glances. "Well, that's starting to sound familiar," whispered Téa.

Myrtle continued, her voice weighted by disdain, "Whatever that _thing_ is… there is nothing like it, no way to truly explain what it is. It came from nowhere, only seeking to corrupt and destroy. It enslaved our ancestors, the people of Atlantis, people who lived in paradise! It made them servants for the Seal, and worshippers of the Great Leviathan. It made them addicted to its power and willing to do anything to keep that power. They became greedy, blood-thirsty… evil!"

Yami took a breath too quickly and coughed, holding a hand over his mouth for manners. Téa watched him worriedly. He straightened himself and cleared his throat. "Please excuse me. But, if I may ask, how do you know all this?"

Myrtle's unexpected burst of dissonant laughter was, at best, unnerving. "Oh, I've known this for a long time, dear. Centuries, millennia, it feels like!" She waved her slender arm about for emphasis.

"That doesn't answer my question," he responded doubtingly, picking up on the peculiar change of tone.

"Pharaoh," Téa interrupted them, pointing her finger over Myrtle's left shoulder into the distance. "Look."

Myrtle turned around, and Yami narrowed his eyes on a moving black mass storming towards them through the valley with the hills at its back, about four hundred yards away.

"What is that?" Téa asked nervously.

Murmurs of speculation broke out among the surrounding villagers as more took notice of whatever was approaching them. The murmurs quickly evolved into panic.

"Quick, get inside!" shouted one villager, a middle-aged man ushering his son inside their hut.

"They're coming for us!" yelped a younger woman behind Téa.

"Mommy, what's going on?" a child's curious voice entered Yami's ears, causing him to turn around and watch the little boy being lifted into his mother's arms and carried off. "Where's Daddy?"

Myrtle took Téa's hand in hers. "Come, dear, we must go."

The three of them headed back to the tent, with Myrtle leading Téa while Yami assisted Myrtle to move quickly, with her other hand supported by his shoulder.

"What is happening?" he inquired as he helped her into the tent.

"The soldiers," she responded in a low, frantic whisper. "The Orichalcos Soldiers, they found our village, they've come to take our souls!"

Yami and Téa shared a shocked gasp. "What?!"

Myrtle turned to Yami. "You! You are the Chosen Duelist the scriptures speak of! Please, we need your help!"

Yami stuttered in shock. "There must be a mistake, I can't be the Chosen Duelist!"

Myrtle did not relent. "No, I know it to be true. You are the duelist who wields the power of the great Atlantean dragon, Timaeus! Are you not?"

He hesitated. "I am, but…" he trailed off. The memory of Timaeus abandoning him during his duel with Weevil clouded his mind with doubt.

"He is," Téa asserted on his behalf.

Myrtle nodded, a hopeful smile growing on her wrinkled face. "Then there is no mistake. You can save us."

A chorus of indiscernible cries of alarm rose to the skies. A woman's shriek pierced through the cacophony. "They're coming!"

"No! Noooooooo!"

A high-pitched whir caught Yami's attention instantly. He knew that sound; it made his stomach tighten with dread. It was the sound of a human soul being forced out of its body and absorbed by the Seal for serpent fodder.

"Mommy!" a child cried.

Téa yelped. She leapt forward, reaching for the tent flaps to push them open when she felt herself being violently yanked backwards by the shoulders. Before she could blink, she was lying on her back, looking up at the pharaoh sternly glaring down at her.

"What do you think you're doing?" he admonished her.

She sat up urgently, rubbing the sore spot on her head where it hit the ground. "What do you think I'm doing? Those people need help!"

He shook his head. "You and Myrtle must stay here. I will go."

She stubbornly held her ground. "I don't care what the scriptures say, don't be a hero. You need help."

His jaw tightened. "Not from you."

Téa's jaw dropped open at that. Yami realized what he had said and quickly tried to recant his words. "No, wait, I didn't mean—"

"' _Not_ _from_ _you?'_ What in the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?"

He stammered in weak apology. "Th-that's not what I meant to say, I—"

"I don't give a _damn_ what you 'meant to say', Pharaoh… because despite that, I think you've really said it all!" she fumed, raising her voice over his meager protests. "I already told you, I won't argue on this anymore! There are people in danger right at this very moment, and I can't waste any more time getting your permission to do _anything_!"

"Téa!" Yami called, but before her name left his mouth, she was out of sight, dashing into the crowd.

"You must go," murmured Myrtle from beside him, making him jump. He almost forgot she was there. "You are the only one who has the power to stop those soldiers. She is strong, but if she takes them on by herself, she will lose her soul."

Yami looked on, torn by his dilemma. If he stayed to protect her, Téa and the villagers would lose their souls. If he went to help, Myrtle would be completely unprotected. "What about you?"

Myrtle put a slender hand on his. "Go, and do not worry about me. Please save my people."

He shut his eyes and bit his lip, hearing very clearly the finality in her tone. He grimaced as his mind recalled Yugi's gentle smile as he faded into the Seal of Orichalcos, willingly surrendering his soul to the Seal of Orichalcos. Eventually, he brought down his chin to nod affirmatively. "Alright. Please, be safe."

Myrtle said nothing, her expression somber and remorseful. It was as if she already knew it would be their final conversation.

* * *

The disorder that was ravaging the village was so overwhelmingly chaotic, Yami felt physically winded just by being confronted by it.

Within the square block Yami was standing in, he counted at least half a dozen warriors, towering at over nine feet tall and plated in thick metallic charcoal armor, rampaging the village and ensnaring its people in the trap of their activated Seal to harvest their soul in a burst of green light. Tents and shelters everywhere lied overturned on their sides, abandoned by their inhabitants. Several bodies were splayed on the ground, motionless, while the still-conscious villagers were running hysterically in all directions, one man colliding shoulders with Yami before scurrying past him. A Seal was activated about six yards ahead of him, with the body of a young male no older than Yugi collapsing into the dirt, his pale soulless eyes wide open.

"No!" he screamed, catching the attention of a nearby Orichalcos soldier. It reared its head, revealing the sinister red eyes and glowing neon mark of the Seal on its forehead. It abandoned its prey, a young girl shaking on her feet with her arms drawn over her face in defense, to pursue the pharaoh.

"Leave these people alone!" the pharaoh commanded. He hadn't necessarily expected the soldier to comply, but it didn't respond altogether, only storming wildly at him with its duel disk drawn.

Thinking quickly, Yami activated the duel disk on his left arm in return, and in one swift motion, slipped a single card from the holster on his belt.

 _I'm sorry for betraying your trust and misusing you. I am not deserving of your power. But I beg of you, for the sake of innocent lives, help me defeat these creatures of evil! Don't fight for me, but fight for them, the descendants of your people!_

Taking a deep breath, he slapped the card onto a monster slot. "I call forth the mighty dragon of Atlantis, the Eye of Timaeus!" he summoned at the top of his lungs.

An eruption of light exploded from his duel disk, the mere force causing him to stagger backwards. An enormous dragon, with millions of turquoise scales sparkling in the desert sun, emerged behind him, tall as a city skyscraper. It majestically veered its massive head high above the earth and let forth a thunderous roar that shook the Earth under their feet. Soldiers and villagers alike stopped to behold the sight.

"Is that the legendary dragon?!" gasped an old man nearby.

"Let's try this again," Yami addressed the soldier once more, his back taller now that the dragon towered behind him, "leave, or be incinerated!"

The soldier took a step back, its head angled upwards to gawk at Timaeus.

"Very well, then. Be gone!"

Without needing a command to attack, Timaeus collected energy in its great maw, and fired an ice-blue beam into the center of the soldier's heart with deadly precision. Within seconds, the soldier was set aflame and then reduced to a pile of armor plates scattered over a pile of ash, carried away by the wind.

"The great dragon Timaeus, he's come to save us!" cheered the girl Yami had saved.

Within that time, Timaeus had selected its next target, a soldier caught in its tracks while an old woman, the same elder who first noticed his and Téa's presence, made her getaway as fast as her aged legs could carry her. The powerful dragon laid waste to her pursuer, and quickly moved on to the next.

"Get away from them!" screeched a young female voice behind him. Yami recognized it instantly. He turned around and ran towards the source without looking back.

"Téa!" He called to her as she stood stalwart in defense of a mother and her young child before their destroyed home, the same mother and child he first saw fleeing as the soldiers drew near their village. The soldier had clearly taken advantage of Timaeus's attention spent elsewhere, and took another threatening step towards Téa, the Seal's mark on its head glowing menacingly.

"Leave her alone!" he shouted, but he couldn't quite make it fast enough. As if it were consciously defying him, the soldier raised a massive black gauntlet for a hand and struck the dancer hard across the face with a sickening _smack_. Téa was knocked off her feet, wincing as she touched her marked, swollen face.

The pharaoh's hands balled into tight fists as he was taken by rage. It moved quickly through his body, pumping liquid fire through his veins. His mind reeled, his heart sprang and his fingertips tingled. He was now sprinting so fast he hardly felt his feet touch the ground.

 _You will pay dearly for that!_

Before the brute knew what was coming, the pharaoh's feet were soaring off the ground as he leapt onto the soldier, clinging onto its shoulders before he managed to bring it down to the ground. The soldier, still off its feet, swung at him. Yami was too quick for its burly fist, but the blade of its duel disk clipped his side, tearing through his shirt and leaving a shallow slit over his ribs. He gritted his teeth against the sting as he covered the wound with his left hand.

"Pharaoh!" Téa cried worriedly. She started to move towards him, but he held up his free hand to stop her.

"Stay back! Take them somewhere safe and leave him to me!"

Her gaze lingered on his other hand, where blood seeped through his fingers. "But, Pharaoh, you're—"

" _Téa_!" he interrupted her as he released his wound to dodge another swing from his opponent with a swift tuck-and-roll. "This time you _must_ do as I say! Get them out of here _now_!"

Téa looked back at the mother and child, cowering on the ground behind her desperately clutched in each other's arms, and nodded towards Yami. "Alright! But please be careful!"

Yami tumbled to the ground as another attack missed him. "Doing my best!"

The dancer whipped around and knelt beside the mother, grabbing her by the forearm. "Come with me!"

The woman nodded, holding her boy close to her as she and Téa weaved around the fallen bodies of her neighbors and friends, dodging blasts and blows all around them. Ahead of them was a line of trees guarding the entrance to a vast forest. Téa didn't know what lied within it, but she was ready to take her chances.

"Almost there!" Téa shouted. "If we hurry, we can ma—"

A muscular arm caught her around the neck, yanking her backward and into a strange man's clutches. He had her arms tightly locked against her arched back, the cushioning of her backpack pushing her chest out and her feet off balance. "Hey! Let me go!"

"Where are you going with my prey, little girl?" the man growled into her ear. She tried to twist herself away, but she couldn't shake him off; his build was too sturdy. Before she could yell for the pharaoh, his arm tightened around her throat, strangling his name back into her mouth.

"Stop this!" the woman cried. "Dakotah, let her go!"

"Daddy, please stop!" pled the child meekly, falling to the ground to weep loudly.

The man crept backward, with Téa in tow. "Stupid child, Daddy is _gone_! Daddy is ridding the world of evil! Daddy is paving the way for a New World, a New Era, a perfect utopia ruled by the Great God Leviathan and his prophet Master Dartz! Daddy is doing this for _us_ , for a better life!"

"Master… Dartz?!" Téa squeaked through her chokehold.

"The Great One is our new supreme ruler, he will cleanse the world of darkness!"

"Stop this Dakotah! This isn't like you, what happened to you?"

"Back off, wretch!" snapped Dakotah. "This girl's soul is mine, and you and that runt are next!"

"How dare you, that is your _son_!"

Another voice entered the field, dark and venomous and threatening. "Let her go."

The low baritone voice projected above the surrounding chaos with ease without shouting, causing everyone except Téa to turn their heads. Dakotah sneered at the newcomer.

"Ah, the mighty pharaoh has come to rescue his damsel in distress?"

Téa growled weakly, hating the position she was in. After all her efforts to stay on the front line, _this_ was her fate. Again.

Yami took a step towards him, fists clenched and jawline hardened, the tail of his torn jacket flapping in the wind behind him. His hair was mussed, his face was smeared with dirt, and his clothes had new rips and bloodstains. His fierce violet eyes were predatorily fixed on Dakotah with an ensnared Téa struggling to get free.

"Unhand her, or today will be your last day," Yami warned threateningly.

A soft giggle dribbled out of Dakotah's mouth, which quickly progressed to a long shrill of maniacal laughter. His wife, son, and hostage were clearly rattled.

"My last day? _My_ _last_ _day_? It matters not, for once Master Dartz has your soul, it will be _everyone's_ last day! Ha ha ha! The reaping of souls will commence as the Great God Leviathan awakens and destroys what's left of this rotten world!"

The pharaoh raised a finger to point at Dakotah. "Shut your mouth, cretin, and let Téa go. _Now_."

Dakotah slackened his arm on Téa's throat, causing her to gasp for air, only to stroke her battered cheek with his hand. "And waste a perfectly beautiful soul to offer our Savior, the great Serpent and his Master? Perhaps, you'd like to offer your own soul in exchange?" Téa winced as Dakotah's hand wandered to her neck.

The pharaoh's eyes narrowed on his target. He took another step towards him, trying with concerted effort to keep his boiling fury in check. "Take your filthy hands off her. This is your last warning." His voice changed again, deeper in pitch and grittier in tone, like gravel in his throat.

Téa turned her head as far as she could to see him, with Dakotah's rough fingers trailing over her chin. "Pharaoh…" she croaked helplessly. She couldn't stand being touched so humiliatingly in front of him, feeling like a helpless plaything. She twitched as she caught a glimpse of Dakotah's hand as it left her face, as a soft green glow covered what she could see of it. A reflection of the Seal of Orichalcos, the mark shining brightly mere centimeters from her eyes. The hand dropped to her chest, and Téa's heart stopped as it rested upon her breast.

"These are nice," Dakotah praised in a lascivious tone that made the hair on her neck stand up. "Tell me, are they just as perky without the support? After I take your soul, I think I'll see for myself."

"Don't touch me, creep!" Téa snarled, but she was powerless to stop him.

Dakotah tightly squeezed her breast, and she grunted in pain. As disturbing as this was, what scared her even more was how it was provoking the pharaoh, remembering that he was still mentally unstable, not to mention already quite incensed. She had to act fast before it was too late—and she didn't want to find out what 'too late' meant for either of them.

Craning her neck forward, Téa threw back her head with all the force she could manage, and bashed Dakotah square in the nose with her skull. She cringed when she heard the bones crack behind her. Pain shot through her head as she quickly recalled her head injury, hoping it was his nose and not her skull that took the brunt. She blocked it out and managed to struggle free as Dakotah reeled from the assault. She stumbled towards Dakotah's wife and son, her feet kicking up dirt behind her.

"Bitch!" Dakotah screamed through his hands, enclosed over a bloodied nose. The Seal shone brighter still, glaring like a neon green lighthouse beacon. Téa coughed and straightened herself, turning around to stand defensively between him and his family. She could finally see Dakotah in full frontal view—he was a large man, just over six feet tall with a strong, bulky build. He had silver streaks in his shoulder-length dark hair. His brown eyes, glaring furiously at her, were obscured by the menacing red glow that complemented the green occult pentagram etched above his brow and, now that she could spot it, the small green stone on a black rope hanging from his neck. She grimaced at the sight of him and remembered how he'd violated her, still feeling his hand on her breast from only a moment before.

Dakotah released his broken nose to wave the blood off his hands. He pointed a red-coated finger at Téa. "Your soul is _mine_!"

Téa jumped back in surprise as Yami wildly charged into the scene with a loud battle cry, suddenly throwing the weight of his body against the much larger Dakotah's, bringing both men to the ground in a similar fashion to his attack on the Orichalcos soldier. Dakotah hollered and kicked blindly around him, hoping to land a lucky hit. The pharaoh's smaller stature granted him the gift of agility and a quick recovery; he somersaulted into an upright position and dove towards Dakotah's head from behind. He threw his arm around the man's throat and restrained his head against his chest in a lethally tight chokehold. He held him tighter as Dakotah resisted, his long body flailing and his fingernails clawing desperately at Yami's forearm. Dakotah was finally paralyzed from the lack of oxygen, and Yami could get a word in.

"You like taking souls, do you?" he whispered in the strangled man's ear. Dakotah could only answer with bulging wide eyes and an open mouth choking for air. Blood from his nose trailed into his mouth. "Go on, take _my_ soul then. Isn't my soul the one you're _really_ after? What are you waiting for? Hmm?"

"Pharaoh, _stop_!" Téa cried pleadingly. "He's not a soldier! You're going to kill him!"

But Yami couldn't hear her. Her voice became muffled, indistinguishable from the other noises, fading slowly out of earshot as if he were submerged underwater. He drifted into something of a lucid dream state, out of the village and into an empty void, where no one seemed to exist but himself and the man dying in his elbow. He felt the warm arms of the Seal embrace him, caressing his back and his face, dragging him deeper into its spell, indulging every inch of his body and every drop of his blood with the most gratifying, electrifying rush of pleasure he'd ever known. It thickened his bones, strengthened his muscles, sharpened his mind. It suppressed his doubts, fears, and weaknesses until not a single obstacle stood in his way. He felt invincible, superhuman, and in passing moments, godly.

With Dakotah's fate literally in his hands, he once again had the power to decide who lived or died. He could rid the world of another rogue who dared violate Téa, who dared associate with the menace who stole Yugi from him, who dared join an evil organization to help commit the most calamitous mass murder humankind would ever see.

He once again held a gavel in one hand and a noose in the other, and it felt _incredible_. And Yugi was no longer around to get in his way.

Without Yugi around, Yami was finally free to dip into that wellspring of power once more.

Without Yugi holding him back, Yami could be strong again. Powerful again. Use his abilities for good again.

He could _save_ _the_ _world_.

Looking down at his prey, who was mere moments away from losing consciousness, Yami let a small, pleased smirk twist his lips, and made sure it was squarely in Dakotah's view. Despite still having no memories of his past, Yami finally felt like a king, dealing divine justice just as he should've been doing from the start. _This_ was who he was.

"I told you to take your hands off her, didn't I?" Yami hissed. The smile never left his face, only twisting further to look more sadistic and deranged. "Did I not warn you of the consequences? You will pay for your insolence, you pathetic fool." He giggled hysterically as the color drained from Dakotah's face and lips—from fear or asphyxiation, he could neither tell nor care. He drank in the sight of his own justice being served, the sight of the life leaving his bulging eyes.

A deafening roar rang out, forcing the remaining civilians and soldiers to stop in their path to cover their ears. The sound sliced through Yami's intoxication, sobering him instantly. His vision regained its clarity, and he was suddenly back in the village square, knelt on the ground, firmly holding a man's throat in his arm, with two women and a little boy crying and imploring him to stop.

The mighty dragon roared again, causing a tremor to shake the ground. His head dipped back so that his snout pointed towards the sky. Timaeus turned his scarred eye to his master just as their gazes met each others', and the tip of his snout began to disintegrate into the air. Soon its entire head turned to white dust, vanishing into the clouds.

"No…" Yami gasped. "Timaeus!" The headless dragon continued to fade away at the shoulders.

Widespread alarm filled the air around him. "The dragon! It's disappearing!"

"What's happening?"

"Our savior is abandoning us!"

"Run for it!"

"Daddy!"

"My baby!"

Timaeus was nearly completely gone by this point, and a reinforcement team of soldiers had since arrived—at least a dozen more. With the dragon no longer a threat, they converged fully onto the village, extracting souls at an accelerated rate.

"Pharaoh!" Téa yelled over the screams. Her voice sounded labored; she had been trying to get his attention since he had attacked Dakotah. Still somewhat in a stupor, Yami had no idea how much time had passed since he had slipped in and out of his catatonic trance, and realized too late that he had slackened his death grip on his victim while he was distracted by Timaeus's departure.

Yami's head snapped to the side as an elbow cracked against his cheekbone. His vision spun off kilter from both the impact and still feeling dazed from the crash from his "high". Dakotah rolled away and stopped to wheeze, but wasted not another moment while his captor was disoriented. Aided by the Seal, Dakotah recovered extremely quickly while Yami was still struggling to his feet. Sweaty and beet-red in the face, the enraged man grabbed the pharaoh by the lapels of his jacket and hoisted him into the air.

Yami thrashed about, twisting his body and kicking his feet to no avail. Dakotah brought him up to face level, locking eyes with him. Yami gasped as their gaze met merely inches from each other; the Seal of Orichalcos and the Orichalcos stone were gleaming as bright as ever.

Though Dakotah and Yami looked nothing alike, Yami saw a distinct reflection of himself, a man under the spell of the Seal. Behind the broken nose was a face contorted by fury and bloodthirst, eyes a murderous, manic red. This was a special kind of rage—the Seal of Orichalcos had fully hijacked the man's will, and there was nothing holding him back.

"You're _dead_ ," Dakotah hissed. His hot breath reeked of the stench of blood. Without the adrenaline, it would've been enough to make Yami retch.

The pharaoh was suddenly thrown backward with exceptional strength. He soared through the air until a solid surface caught his head. He howled in agony, clutching his throbbing skull. A high-pitched ringing lacerated his temples. He shut his tear-filled eyes and pressed his palms to the sides of his head, desperate for relief.

"Stop this!" ordered Téa.

Dakotah stormed at Yami as if he didn't hear her. Yami forced his eyes open, wincing painfully at the sun's glare, when his vision started to double, then triple. Through a blurry vignette, he saw three Dakotah's stand over him, watching him triumphantly.

"Your soul is mine," the brutish man declared breathlessly, pointing down at an immobilized Yami. "And after that, I'll rip you to pieces with my bare hands!"

"No," Yami wheezed, slamming a hand on the ground beside his hip as he swayed. "No… stay awake, damn it!" His eyelids fell heavily, and he collapsed onto his side. He was unconscious by the time his head hit the ground.

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: Like I said, dark territory. There will be more of that coming up. If this chapter was too rough for you, I'd abandon this story right away.

If not, I'll see you in PART II!

Thanks for reading,

ALG


	2. INTERLUDE I

Welcome to the first interlude! I'm treating these as "tiny chapters"; they aren't as long or plot relevant as each "part", but provide a bit of exposition and insight on the characters, plus maybe add some more headcanon material, since that's kinda fun :-)

As per usual, I own nothing that you recognize.

* * *

 **Vices**  
INTERLUDE I

The next thing Yami knew, he was on his feet and his eyes were open, surrounded by a dense black void. He felt strangely exposed; he glanced down at himself, and was startled to find that he was completely undressed. His skin, free of wounds, was alight under the cast of a green glow. His bare feet were standing on a circular, bright white emblem, its diameter about as wide as he was tall. He looked up to see Timaeus towering over him through a thin green lens. Separating him and the ancient Atlantean dragon was a mystical barrier that stretched upwards infinitely into oblivion—the confines of the Seal of Orichalcos.

"Timaeus," the pharaoh murmured, feeling himself already inclined to weep. "I'm so sorry. Once again I let my rage consume me… I betrayed your trust, _again_."

The dragon lowered his head, and Yami could hear a growl rumbling in his throat as he drew nearer. His body quivered in the face of Timaeus staring him down, feeling like caged prey waiting to be devoured.

Yami fell to his bare knees, bringing his head down so that his bangs blocked his view of Timaeus's heart-wrenching look of disapproval. "I am truly sorry for dishonoring you. I acted on anger, and I let the darkness in my heart have its way with me. You were right to desert me as you did." Tears fell from his eyes, and his hands trembled in his lap. "I am not your master any longer. Do away with me as you please."

The mighty beast withdrew his head, disintegrating into a swirl of white dust. In his place, a large mirror appeared, giving Yami a full-frontal view of himself, a slender but toned physique of a sixteen-year-old boy. He stared curiously at his reflection—his hair stood as tall and eccentric as ever, though the magenta highlights were tamed by the Seal's hue, coloring it a dull teal instead. He bore the cursed Seal of Orichalcos insignia on his forehead and a red streak marked each of his violet eyes.

The pharaoh in the mirror suddenly rippled, and Yami was now looking at a past version of himself, fully clothed in Death Valley, shortly after being consumed by hatred, greed, and lust for power. He watched in silent horror as he ordered Dark Magician Girl—the very Duel Monster who came to him for help—to launch herself from his Catapult Turtle. He listened to his own voice, grated and arrogant, send her off with nothing but a dismissive wave of the hand and a stark "Go on!" when she looked to him doubtfully after the initial command. She couldn't reach him telepathically anymore. On the other side of the mirror, Yami could feel her helplessness as he watched the Seal force her against her will to comply. It hurt him terribly to see her expression—something that he hadn't seen at the time, given that her back was to him—as she climbed onto the platform, readying herself to be used as ammunition for the winning strike at the opponent's life points. Unlike other Duel Monsters in the pharaoh's deck who perked up at the addition of the Seal's power to their own attack strength, Dark Magician Girl felt intruded upon, wearing the mark of the Seal and the red-streaked irises with deep shame. She swallowed a sob as her brainwashed master gloated over her power boost, the attack power she absorbed from Dark Magician, whom he had frivolously sacrificed just the turn before her.

Just as Yami thought the scene playing before him was agonizing enough to watch, his own voice jarred him with the attack command, "Catapult Launch!"

His fists clenched as the voice of his recent past echoed in his cage as if they were in an empty cathedral. The look of disappointment marking her young pretty face as the catapult vaulted her forth was so unpleasant to learn of that Yami wondered if he would ever forget it. How could he be so ignorant of the suffering of his own monsters?

Just as he was about to look away, the mirror shifted again, and he was on top of the train once more, bringing his duel with a Seal-possessed Weevil Underwood to a violent conclusion. Weevil's lifepoints hit zero long ago, but Yami himself couldn't recall even the thought of it crossing his mind at the time. As he watched the horrific events unfold, he remembered quite clearly how he reveled in every wail of pain from Underwood by the sword of his Breaker Warrior, and the following dirty satisfaction he would get after drawing another monster card, his Berserker's Soul card permitting him to inflict _more_ harm on him. He watched Téa run to him over two train cars to physically hold him down and tearfully beg him to stop. He watched as he spitefully resisted her hand restraining his as it held the next monster card—Dark Magician Girl. Somehow, the magician's face on the card perfectly matched the terrified expression she wore while being launched from his Catapult Turtle.

The mirror warped the image, twisting its colors and shapes until he was on the Duel Tower in Duelist Kingdom, ordering the attack that could possibly end Seto Kaiba's life—in that, if it had carried through and taken the last of Kaiba's life points, Kaiba adamantly promised to end his own life. It was cheap and underhanded on Kaiba's part; everyone knew that. But Yami was the only one who was truly committed to attain victory despite its risks; he would've rather rolled the dice than have himself, or Yugi, be exploited in such a way. And because of that, the very person he needed to protect, the kind and selfless Yugi Mutuo, suffered emotional trauma and feared the Spirit, even declaring that he'd _never_ _duel_ _again_.

The battle for control and trust between the two that followed was miserable and dire for both, not to mention the pressure from battling in the final rounds of the Duelist Kingdom tournament reigning down on them as well. Yami's fists shook and gradually loosened as he watched Téa—slightly younger with shorter hair and a more dated outfit—rush towards him in a very similar fashion to her much later action on the train, pleading him to rescind the attack. Yami watched his body transform back into Yugi's smaller stature, recalling the feeling of being forced into the Puzzle, as if Yugi's sheer force of will had arms to pull him backwards and toss him back into his soul room. A mentally-spent Yugi fell on all fours, his tiny body shaking violently while his friends gathered around him. With tears falling to the castle floor, Yugi told his friends of his suspicion that another presence was within his mind, and his fear that it was something he couldn't control.

Yami frowned, sharing tears with the younger Yugi he watched fall apart in front of him, _because_ of him, _without_ the Seal of Orichalcos. He would've certainly reacted similarly, had he been in Yugi's position, though he likely would have tried to exile the Spirit, rather than simply restrain and live in fear of it. Thankfully, for his and many others' sake, it was still _Yugi_ who made that call.

The scenery changed. The new—or rather, _old_ —version of Yami was suddenly back at him. Just the look of him made his skin crawl. This was him shortly after his spirit was freed from the Millennium Puzzle for the first time in three thousand years, judging by the unsettling manic look on his face and the bloodlust in his eyes. The Spirit vigilante in the mirror raised a finger to point at Yami—despite Yami not making a move at all—and uttered the two words he had come to regret so strongly.

"Penalty Game."

That's right—he used to pursue cowards, cheats, and truly wicked individuals who chose to hurt others in their selfish quest for power. He punished them unmercifully, either killing them or making them wish they had the privilege of death. He understood very little of the grey area in the world of morality and judgement, only wanting to protect Yugi and his friends from the dark souls roaming around him in this strange modern world. After all, Yugi was the one who freed him from the dark hellscape that was his imprisonment for several millennia, and allowed him to live vicariously though him. And he'd be damned if anything happened to him. Quite literally.

A tear fell down his face as he watched his mirror counterpart lower his finger. The barrier around him brightened up, and that high-pitched whir entered Yami's ears again. He backed away from the mirror, the earlier version of himself still watching him retreat with his unblinking crimson eyes.

Images appeared before him, just outside his barrier. His Duel Monsters he had sacrificed—Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Catapult Turtle, Kuribabylon and the Kuriboh brothers that were its Fusion materials, and all the others, watching him as if they were about to jump him all at once. He suddenly felt exposed, remembering that he was nude. He crossed his arms over his chest and groin.

"Penalty Game," spoke a monster, firm and commanding. It was Dark Magician, glaring at him with his arms crossed.

"Penalty Game," echoed his apprentice, standing next to him with her staff drawn. She spoke as punitively as the master magician.

"Penalty Game," added Catapult Turtle, low and gruff with the vowels stretched out.

One by one, each monster added to the chorus, each voice with its own timbre and tone. The volume of the chants steadily rose as more joined in.

Kuribabylon was the last of the monsters to add to the chorus with a nasally shrill. "Penalty Game!"

Their voices combined and chanted the two punishing words repeatedly, all eyes burning on him. Yami uncovered himself to put his hands over his ears, but it did nothing to quiet them. He slumped into a sitting fetal position, pressing his forehead firmly between his knees, desperate for relief. Each chant was louder and clearer than the last, until it sounded like his entire deck of Monsters was in his ear, convicting him with all the hatred in the world.

"I'm sorry!" he choked through a lump in his throat. He shook his head. "Please believe me, I regret it all! I'm sorry!"

The chants finally stopped, only for the Spirit in the mirror to speak again, his arms folded over his chest and the eye of Wdjat activating on his forehead.

"The Door to Darkness has been opened."

Yami's eyes clouded over with a thick black smoke. He panicked as oxygen was sucked from his lungs, clutching at his throat as he struggled to breathe. The Seal of Orichalcos whirred again, ringing harshly in his ears, and his heart hammered painfully against his chest in urgency. The white emblem beneath him cracked open, and the vigilante spirit of the Puzzle watched Yami fall into the endless depths of darkness.

* * *

The pharaoh's eyes snapped open, and he gasped for breath. He found himself blinking up at a starry night sky, framed by tall treetops and illuminated by a full moon. He started to move, feeling clothes on his body once more, along with a heavy pressure keeping him anchored to the ground. As he came to, he realized that a human body was lying over him, silent and perfectly still. A head of short brunette hair rested on the ground beside him.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Part II coming soon! Don't forget to follow, fave and review!

Follow me on Tumblr! **username: atemusluckygal-fanfiction**

ALG


	3. PART II: Noble Intentions

**Uh oh, it's a long one! Lots o' drama and angst! Yay!**

 **As previously stated, this chapter has some dark themes, as will the next. You have been warned.**

 **ALG**

* * *

 **Vices**  
PART II: Noble Intentions

Yami sat up with a start, causing the body on top of him to shift to the side. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, concentrating on getting through the initial wave of pain his movement caused, including a blinding headache in the back of his skull. He turned his attention to the figure beside him, and his heart sank.

"Oh no…" he breathed shakily. "This can't be."

He turned it over, sweeping a layer of hair from Téa's closed eyes with a dirty, unsteady hand. He checked her vitals; she was alive, though her lips looked chapped and pale.

"Téa?" he whispered, shaking her shoulder. "Téa!" He shook again, and reached over to tap his hand against her cheek. Her skin was cold. "Come on, Téa. Wake up."

Tears filled his eyes as he pulled on her hand. "Wake up, please!" he raised his voice.

The groan was so faint Yami at first thought he imagined it. Téa's head turned on its own at least, and Yami released a shuddering breath of relief. Keeping her hand in his as she roused, he used his other to rub the tears from his eyes before she could see.

The dancer's eyes slowly opened, trying to focus in the dark. She smiled drowsily as she recognized Yami next to her. "You're okay," she rejoiced quietly. She sat up with Yami's hand at her back to assist her.

"Don't worry about me, are you hurt?" he asked as he tentatively released her.

Téa rubbed the back of her head, wrinkling her nose. "I'm okay… but man, my head still hurts like crazy. Apparently it takes a lot of force to break a human nose. I would kill for some Advil right now."

Yami sat on that observation, his mind recalling memories in a disjointed onslaught. A bloody, broken nose. Téa held hostage. Dakotah... his family. Myrtle. The Orichalcos soldiers. Timaeus.

"The village!" Yami exclaimed in panic. He jumped to his feet, looking around; they were surrounded by trees in a thick, secluded forest. He strained his eyes in the dark and sighted the village sitting ominously in the distance. A thick billow of smoke floated above it. Without warning, he sprinted towards it.

"Wait!" he heard Téa call him back. But he didn't stop; he only focused ahead of him, his heart throbbing in his ears. He _had_ to help before it was too late.

By the time there were no more trees to block his view, Yami came to a dead halt. He realized why Téa called him back—to prepare him for what he was going to see.

The village was completely unrecognizable—every square foot was utterly decimated. Most homes were either overturned, clobbered to pieces, or burnt to ashes. Almost every inch of the ground was covered in debris. And the bodies—they were _everywhere_. Men, women, children… no soul within reach was spared, their empty shells left to waste away in the desert sun. Some were piled in clumps—families and lovers still clutched in each other's arms as their souls were captured, others were scattered about the square, lying in all sorts of unnatural positions, each pair of eyes either half closed or fully open. There was no other way to look at it; he knew they were still alive, but they all looked _dead_ , like carnage in a deserted war zone.

One young girl, of around Mokuba's age, lied face-first on the outer border about six yards from Yami's feet, with her arm reached out in front of her. Her brown dress was dirty and covered in ash. The only sign of movement was a few strands of her long blonde hair waving gently in the night breeze.

Yami swallowed hard, feeling sick to his stomach as he wandered through the macabre scene and past the many, many unmoving bodies—the innocent people of the Village of Sun who were so hospitable to him and Téa, who entrusted him with their lives, who he'd let down so disgracefully. His nose wrinkled at the strong, smoky smell of ash and burnt remains. His heart dropped as he neared Myrtle's tent. Through the small opening, he could see her lying on her side, looking peacefully asleep, her cane still in her hand. She was the reason he and Téa were still walking, and now her soul now belonged to Dartz.

 _Go, and do not worry about me. Please save my people._

Myrtle's matronly voice floated through Yami's memory, fading into the ghostly silence hanging over the lifelessness surrounding him. Yami clenched his fists, digging his fingernails harshly into his palms. Soft footfalls behind him padded over the silence, stopping about twenty feet away.

"Pharaoh?" came Téa's timid voice.

Yami couldn't answer. Instead, he stumbled backwards and screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed again.

Over and over, he howled incoherently in short spurts, punctuating each one with another unsteady step back. His hands flew to his head to pull at his bangs. Téa called to him in concern, but was drowned out by his manic shrieks barreling into the night. His voice was raw and broken, made worse with his hyperventilating between each cry of despair. If anyone had been listening in, they'd think someone was torturing him mercilessly.

Téa started towards him, but stopped when he fell on all fours and dry-heaved, resting one hand over his stomach. It had been at least a day since he'd eaten anything, so he had nothing to purge. He gagged, screamed, cried, and gagged again in rotation. Horrified, Téa looked away with a hand over her mouth, unable to watch. She elected to just let him tire himself out and only intervene if she needed to.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yami staggered ungracefully to his feet, panting heavily. His hand was still holding his stomach and his back was slightly arched, but he was holding his balance well enough.

"Are you alright?" Téa asked gently.

The pharaoh kept his back to her, his ears still ringing. He coughed twice before speaking. "What happened?" he inquired slowly. He considered taking his question back, but he bit his tongue. He would've had to find out sooner or later.

"Well…" she began hesitantly, "when Dakotah knocked you out, I had to get him out of the way so I could get you to safety." She rubbed her arm. "He was about to take your soul, and then kill you."

Yami closed his eyes. "And?"

"I found a plank of wood and smacked his head pretty good," she murmured in a voice almost too soft to hear, even in the silence. It was hard to miss the guilt in her tone. "I told his family to run for it, and then I grabbed you and got out of there. I didn't have a lot of time."

She continued without looking up. "I carried you out to the woods as fast as I could. We somehow got out without getting Dakotah's or the Soldiers' attention. I must've passed out after that, because that's all I remember. It happened so fast…"

"And Dakotah's family… did they make it out?"

Téa fell silent. Dreading the answer about to come, Yami turned around to face her, but her distraught blue eyes wouldn't meet his. Tears trailed down her cheeks. "I don't know," she finally admitted, sobbing.

Yami growled at that. Téa wiped at her eyes, sniffling. "As for Dakotah, I only hit him hard enough to knock him off his feet. I don't think—"

"I don't give a damn about Dakotah," Yami interrupted bitterly. "Dartz can skin him alive for all I care."

"Pharaoh," she softly admonished, timidly moving closer to him, "that's your rage talking. I know you're angry at him, and trust me, so am I. But we both need to remember that, as far as we know, Dakotah was just a man trying to help his family, but he was manipulated and brainwashed by the Seal of Orichalcos. He let his anger get the best of him. Kind of like you."

"I am _nothing_ like him!" Yami shouted, startling her. "I would never turn on the people I love in such a despicable way!"

Téa held out her hand in defense. "I didn't mean—"

Yami stormed at her, stopping merely a foot from her. "You _defend_ that unspeakable bastard? After how he betrayed his family, his village… after what he _did_ to you?!"

"Hey!" Téa reprimanded him sharply, steeling herself with some hidden resolve. "You need to calm down."

"Like _hell_ I need to calm down!" the pharaoh roared, causing Téa to flinch. "After all that's happened, at a time like this, you expect me to be _calm_?!" His neck muscles were strung tightly, and there was a manic look to his eyes that sent a shiver down Téa's spine.

"I expect you to practice some common sense," Téa fired back, but at a more controlled volume. "If any of Dartz's cronies are around, they'd hear you, and then we'd have even more trouble on our hands."

Yami raised his hands, palms up. "Then let them come! Let them just _try_ to take my soul, and see what happens! I will avenge the villagers of Sun I failed to protect, I'll make the savages who took their souls pay for their crimes!" He turned to swing his fist into a wooden support beam holding up a roof of what was once a small hut. The structure collapsed over the fractured wood, unsettling clouds of dirt and ash.

"Pharaoh!" Téa scolded disapprovingly, coughing before she could say anything else.

Yami walked away from her, looking up and holding his arms out wide. "You hear me, Dartz?" he screamed at the starry night sky, "Send whomever you want after me, and they will meet their fate! Send Rafael after me, and this time he will lose _dearly_! And you are next! I'm coming after you, and I will end you once and for all!"

"Pharaoh _stop_ it!"

He pointed to the sky. "I will see you in _hell_ , Dartz!"

Desperate, Téa rushed to him and grabbed his shoulder. "That's enough!"

Yami whirled around, his face contorted in fury. "Back off, you bitch!"

 _Swimming._

He was swimming again.

That word. He first heard it in a rated R movie Joey smuggled into the house when Yugi's grandfather was away, and again in the hallway at Yugi's high school, overhearing a conversation between students describing a beautiful but tyrannically strict teacher named Ms. Chono. If he remembered correctly, this was the same teacher who received one of his Penalty Games for using her power to corruptly mistreat Téa and Yugi. Though, neither of them ever found out about it, only that one day their problems were solved and Ms. Chono was a crestfallen shell of her former self.

He never liked the word, finding it to be in poor taste.

Dakotah used it, too. Against Téa. After he captured her, threatened her… after he _manhandled_ her.

Yami's breath caught. Since when did he ever lower himself to using such tactless language, especially against someone so undeserving of the slander?

He blinked. When did he get to this point? How long had he been so incoherent and detached from the world? Why did his head suddenly ache so fiercely? His vision slowly cleared to find Téa shrinking before him, eyes pressed closed and shoulders hunched. Her face was turned to the side, revealing three scratches over a developing bruise from the Soldier's strike. She was shaking and whimpering like an abused animal, cornered and awaiting their punishment.

Yami's eyes fully refocused, and he came face to face with his palm in the foreground. He realized that his hand, on its own accord, was raised in a backhand fashion, tensed as steel and ready to carry through had he not sobered at that precise moment. He stared at it disbelievingly, wondering in horror how and when it got there.

He lowered his hand.

"Oh my God…" he croaked. He looked at Téa; her body was still braced for the blow. His blinding rage subsided, leaving him feeling even lower than before. Téa was his ally. Téa was his _friend_. Why was he attacking her? How could he _raise his hand_ to her?

No. Téa was _Yugi's_ friend. And he was an imposter in Yugi's stolen body, threatening her harm with Yugi's stolen hand.

"Téa… I'm so sorry." The hand that was raised now quivered apologetically at his side. "I-I don't know what came over me."

For a long time, Téa said nothing. She centered her posture and opened her eyes, though she kept them trained on the ground, unable to look at him. Her chest heaved as she worked down her nerves.

"I'd never—"

"Shut up," Téa snapped with a break in her voice. "Just shut up."

Yami's eyes widened as he obediently closed his mouth. He'd never seen Téa so livid before. Truth be told, she could be downright terrifying when she wanted to be.

Téa gulped loudly and straightened herself. Keeping her gaze down, she spoke slowly, each word heavy with contempt. "Whoever is in control of that body is neither Yugi nor the Pharaoh. Whoever you are, I need you to get out of my friend's body, and _stay_ out."

Yami didn't move or speak. Even if he had permission to, he wouldn't have the slightest clue what to say.

Téa clenched her jaw and continued. "And if you see the pharaoh, tell him to get back here, and help me get Yugi back. Tell him that I…" Her head jerked oddly to the side, as if dismissing what she originally wanted to say.

"…that people love him, and seeing him hurting so badly is the most painful thing in the world."

Yami felt a lump forming in his throat as he heard Téa's voice break. All this time he'd hardly stopped to think of how _she_ was affected by all this. How could he be so oblivious... so selfish?

"Finally, tell the pharaoh to never lose sight of what's important." She finally met his eyes, and she stared into them meaningfully, as if sending a message to a deeper part of his soul.

Yami let the tears forming in his eyes fall freely at that. He understood. Téa didn't need to say anything else, he knew exactly what she meant. Instead of moving forward to restore the villagers' souls, he let his hatred take control of him, and destroyed what was left of someone's home. In his spell of heightened rage, as he swore vengeance at the sky with steadfast conviction, he did not _once_ mention Yugi.

The dam holding his emotions at bay finally ruptured. The pharaoh's knees buckled and he crumpled to the ground, curling into himself and weeping bitterly into his arm. His shoulder hit the dirt, the Millennium Puzzle following it. He'd never felt so small, so lost, so pitiful.

Yami felt a firm hand pull him up by his arm, and then felt his head guided to rest on a slender shoulder. Téa wrapped her arms tightly around him, creating a barrier between him and the shabby ruins of the Village of Sun around them. He sobbed into her chest, feeling deeply grateful for her comfort even though he knew she was likely still furious with him.

"I'm sorry, Téa," Yami croaked, muffled by the flaps of her jacket. "I'm so sorry. I've become such a monster."

"No, pharaoh," Téa gently disagreed, "You're not a monster. We're going to get through this, I promise."

"I will never forgive myself," he lamented between sobs.

Téa sighed sadly. He sounded so defeated. With one arm still securing his back, Téa used her other hand to slowly rub his upper arm. "Don't say that."

"You must hate me," he continued, "and you have every right to."

"Of course I don't hate you," Téa replied with a little exasperation. "I am definitely not happy with you at the moment, but you of all people should know how pointless hatred is."

Yami took her words with a nod, sniffling. He lifted his head from her shoulder and out of her arms, wiping the remnants of his tears away. His voice was quiet, but earnest and sincere. "Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Téa gave him a small smile in return. "Don't be." She rose to her feet, brushing the dirt from the seat of her shorts. "We need to go."

Yami glanced about them doubtfully. "And just leave them here?"

Téa shrugged. "Well, we can't exactly bury them. They're not dead. There's nothing we can do for them now, except get to Dartz and restore them back to normal."

The pharaoh growled, but let his frustration subside at Téa's disapproving side glance. He turned towards Myrtle's tent, sitting a few feet away and, miraculously, still mostly intact. After a moment of contemplating, he walked towards it.

"I'm sorry, Myrtle," he whispered mournfully. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop you or your people from being captured. But I swear it, I will save you and your people. I made you that promise, and I still intend to keep it."

Looking up, he noticed the roof of her shelter sat crookedly on its support beams, and found that one of the beams was fractured and slightly bent from its injury. As carefully as possible, he gently pushed the beam back into a straighter position. He crouched before the tent opening and reached inside, extracting a long orange-and-brown patterned scarf from Myrtle's person, and secured a double knot tightly around the break on the beam. He took a few steps back to look upon the tent for the last time—the roof lied more horizontally thanks to the makeshift repair. The long tails of Myrtle's scarf swayed in the nighttime breeze like a conqueror's flag. The light of the moon set off the orange, emboldening the color to a brighter apricot shade.

"Let this represent the resistance," Yami declared with renewed strength in his voice, "against the Seal of Orichalcos. Against the Great Leviathan. Against the brigade of hatred in human hearts."

* * *

Yami followed Téa wordlessly, allowing her to take the lead. He weaved around the bodies and their homes in pieces, carefully avoiding stepping on anyone, trying not to gag at the more grotesque parts of it. Téa kept her back to him, her shoulders tensed. As they passed the border, heading along the river back to the train crash site, Téa quickened her pace, charging ahead of him without looking back. Yami had to jog to keep up.

"Téa," Yami called gently as he caught up to her. "Please slow down."

"We have to find Joey and Tristan," she said, and Yami was surprised to hear how fatigued her voice sounded. "We have find a way to scale the mountainside so we can get back up to the train tracks, grab Weevil, and look for them. There's no more time to waste."

"We can't climb the mountain tonight," Yami pointed out, having completely forgotten about Weevil's soulless body he threw off the derailing train. "Not in the dark. Let's stop here for a while."

Téa stubbornly pressed onward as if she didn't hear him, hugging her arms tightly against the night chill. Yami noticed an unevenness in her step, and rushed up to her side just as her shoe caught something and sent her stumbling forward.

"Téa!" Yami called worriedly. He quickly caught her moments before her body could hit the ground. She slackened in his arms in relief. He could feel her chest heaving and figured she was short of breath.

"Thanks," Téa muttered sleepily.

Yami helped her stand. "You're exhausted. We should find shelter and call it a night."

She grunted doubtfully. "Here? There's nothing here. Where would we sleep?"

"We'll improvise."

She glanced up the cliff wall towering beside them. "And Joey and Tristan—"

"—are probably fine," Yami interjected, "and likely doing the same thing."

Téa said nothing, unable to find the strength to argue further. She watched the river for a few seconds, listening to the water swish softly against the bank. "I guess I could soak my feet for a few minutes."

The pharaoh nodded and joined her by the bank as she sat down to remove her shoes. He lowered himself into a cross-legged position beside her and set his Millennium Puzzle and duel disk aside.

Slipping her bare, blistered feet into the cool water, Téa hissed as she leaned over to look at her feet. "I think my blisters have blisters." She leaned back on her hands. "If I had known how much we'd be running around, I would've worn better shoes."

Finding himself relieved at the sound of casual conversation, Yami allowed a small smirk on the corner of his mouth. "You think that's bad? Try lugging around a duel disk."

She threw him a playfully skeptical look. "Oh come on. It can't be _that_ heavy."

Yami held it out to her. "Alright then, you can carry it for me," he challenged.

She took it confidently, only for the weight of the disk to drag her arm down a few inches, to her surprise. "Wow, this is way heavier than it looks." She handed it back. "Alright, point taken. You can have this back, now."

Yami chuckled softly, setting the disk on the ground beside him. Something pleasant fluttered inside his heart. He'd forgotten how good it felt to laugh.

Téa suddenly looked concerned, giving him a once-over. "You should wash those out," she said, pointing to the cut on his torso revealed by the tear in his shirt.

Yami blinked and looked down. His wounds had gone completely unnoticed by him for so long—with more compelling things keeping him occupied, he must've gotten used to the sting and ache. He peeled his jacket off and tossed it aside. He cupped a handful of water to splash on the gash in his side.

"You might as well just jump in," Téa suggested. "You look pretty torn up."

Yami looked unsure. "The water is freezing."

Téa shrugged. "It is. But even if, worst case scenario, you catch a cold… it's still better than dealing with an infection. We don't have any first aid, and who knows where the nearest town is."

"I suppose you're right," he relented, pulling off his black tank and shoes. He looked at the water with dread.

"You should take your pants off, too," advised Téa. "Domino school uniforms take forever to dry for some reason. Those will stay wet for a long time."

Yami looked at her curiously, barely catching a blush in her cheeks before she turned her head. She raised her hand as an obscuring barrier between them. "Don't worry, I won't look."

He opened his mouth to assure her that it didn't matter to him, but decided against it. After a moment of hesitation, he removed his pants and laid them over his jacket. He dipped his foot in the water, wincing at the cold, before submerging himself down to his shoulders.

"Agh!" he yelped. The water was almost unbearably cold; his body shivered uncontrollably as it tried to acclimate. Téa snorted, holding back a laugh with her hand.

"What?" he questioned through chattering teeth.

Keeping her face to the side, she giggled. "I didn't know your voice could go that high."

For the first time in too long, Yami felt a genuine smile on his lips. However, that pleasure was shortly dialed back by Téa's next words.

"For a second, you kinda sounded like Yugi." Her face fell as the words left her mouth.

Yami refrained from commenting. He knew she didn't mean to dampen the mood by the mention of Yugi's name, but it was affected as such nonetheless.

Téa crossed her legs and folded her hands over her knee. "One time, when we were freshmen, Yugi accidentally spilled his apple juice on the crotch of his pants during lunch. Needless to say, he was pretty embarrassed by it, and the bullies had a field day. It didn't help that it didn't even _start_ drying until after school. Poor guy."

She laughed. "He eventually got over it, though, especially when I 'accidentally' spilled _my_ apple juice on one of those bullies the next day. Now we just laugh about it."

Both fell quiet as they each thought of Yugi, avoiding each other's eyes. The sound of Yugi's laughter floated through Yami's mind like a flock of butterflies. He missed hearing it.

"I miss him so much," the pharaoh whispered ruefully.

Téa nodded slowly. "Me too."

He looked down in resignation, "I'm sorry."

Téa shook her head. "Pharaoh, I already know you're sorry. Being sorry all the time is not going to help save Yugi or those villagers. It's not doing _you_ any favors, either."

"Not just that," Yami replied. "But I am also sorry for how all this has impacted you, as well. I've stolen your closest friend's body and got him sent away. You've faced far more danger and hardship than you ever should, because of me. This whole ordeal, in addition to the arduous task of dealing with _me_ , has demanded a lot from you. You never asked for any of this."

He allowed his arms to float freely in the water, staring absently at them. "I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am for you, and how regretful I am for what you've had to endure. I only hope that one day I could return the many favors you've given me."

"But you already have," Téa heartily protested. "You've already given me so much."

Yami looked up curiously. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, struggling for the right words. She took a deep breath, thinking warily of the territory she was entering. "You do remember rescuing me all those times, don't you?"

Yami nodded. She continued, "For the first few months you were in this world, I was that damsel in distress, several times. But you saved me each time, even though you weren't obligated to."

"Anyone who has the ability to save an innocent person in danger has the obligation to do so," said Yami.

She waited a moment before carefully responding. "Sorry if this is out of line, but I get the feeling that that wasn't your only motivation."

"You're not completely off the mark. I wasn't exactly in my right mind at the time, either." Images of his own face in the mirror of his dream crept in his mind's eye before he mentally pushed it away. "I only wished to protect Yugi, and that extended to his friends when I realized that they were the staple of his happiness." He gestured towards her. "But, that's another story for another day. Please continue with what you were saying."

"Let's hope we _have_ another day," Téa grumbled, remembering Dakotah's unsettling declarations of Dartz's grand agenda.

"Anyway, once I realized you were not just Yugi's split personality, and I was able to separate you from him as your own person, you became a sort of 'savior' figure to me. I mean, without you, I could have died on multiple occasions. I could've been shot or kidnapped by the escaped convict in the restaurant, I could've been blown to bits in the Ferris Wheel at the water park. And, to think, if you hadn't come for me when that fake psychic creep _drugged_ me…"

The pharaoh growled at the thought, but Téa held up a warning hand and went on. "You said that I've faced more hardship because of you, while I know for a fact that I would've been a lot worse off if you hadn't acted on the good in your heart. The only thing I wanted to do for so long was to meet you face to face, so I could thank you in person, but you kept vanishing before I could. I kept wondering, what kind of man would risk his life to save someone and not stick around to accept their appreciation?"

"The more I saw you in action, the more I admired you. You were fearless and confident and loyal. After a while, I got tired of hiding behind others and having to be saved all the time. I wanted to confront the enemies on the front lines, like you did. I wanted to be the strong woman someone like you could ever view as a partner... an equal."

"I see," Yami interjected, "and that is why you felt so patronized by me earlier, when I told you to stay in the tent after the train crash."

Téa agreed. "Yes, exactly. But we don't need to talk about that right now." She tucked some hair behind her ear. "The point is, I've come to love that woman that I'm becoming, and while you were the inspiration, it became less about you and more about me. It was time for me to grow up, and I'm glad it happened, for better or worse. And I still have more growing up to do, but I am doing it with or without you."

"That's very admirable of you," Yami praised. "Truth be told, you are the only consistently rational person out of the two of us, even all of us. You've always known the right thing to do. Which is why it puzzles me when you say you wished to be my equal. I've never had the belief that you _weren't_ my equal."

"Really?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I hate admitting this, but I owe you that much. I've come to rely on you, a lot, for those reasons. You are the only thing anchoring me to reality right now."

He fondly acknowledged her smile. "And, speaking of rescuing, you have already saved me in kind."

She tilted her head to the side. "What?"

"Don't you remember? Aside from your heroic acts of bravery in the Village of Sun, you also refused to let me fall from the cliff after the train crash, even when I tried to force you."

"Oh, I remember," she recalled. "I'm still very pissed off at you for that, you know."

He nodded in understanding. "I don't blame you. Looking back on it, I now see the hypocrisy. Had our positions been reversed, not only would I never allow it, I would also be furious that you would put me in that position."

"Also proves that I have a lot of self-restraint for not unleashing my fury on you when we woke up," she muttered, unable to resist a smile.

"Fair," he conceded.

"But still, thank you for saying that."

Yami nodded. "I mean it sincerely." He hesitated with his next words. "Téa, can I ask something of you?"

Téa shuffled her feet in the water. "Sure."

"I'm going to ask you a question. And, more than anything in the world, I need you to answer me as honestly as you can. Whatever answer you give me, I promise that I will accept it as the truth."

Téa looked surprised. "You trust me that much?"

"Yes. Right now there is no one else I trust more than you."

She nodded. "Alright."

Yami leaned to his left to be closer to her line of sight. "Please look at me. I need to see your eyes when you answer me."

Téa's face reddened some. "But you're—"

"I don't care."

Téa pressed her lips nervously, and centered her gaze on a pair of regal violet eyes. He was far enough away that the rest of his body was squarely in her peripheral view no matter how hard she tried to narrow her focus. His slender but muscular body was scratched up and bruised in many places, though the water helped with the dirt and blood. He looked exhausted, and a bit gaunt in the face, but somehow no less attractive than normal… dangerously so.

 _Focus, Téa. He's giving you his trust. Don't blow it like an idiot._

"Is it possible that I... have become evil?"

The answer was obvious to her. The word slipped from her mouth before any thought occurred on it. "No."

Yami waited patiently for more, but nothing came. "That's it? Just 'no'?"

Annoyed, she raised her eyebrows. "Okay, fine. No, you dummy."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on Téa, be serious."

"Well, what do you want, another corny monologue? I answered your question, now you have to keep your promise and believe me."

He looked dissatisfied. "I guess I was expecting a bit more elaboration."

Téa shrugged casually. "I didn't think it was necessary." She snorted as a funny thought came to her. "You remind me of those super annoying essay questions we get on tests at school. It's not enough to just answer the question, but we have to explain why."

"It might be helpful to know how you came to that conclusion," Yami suggested. "Otherwise, what good is the answer?"

Téa rolled her eyes. "Alright, Professor Yami, here's how I got my answer. Since you want me to answer honestly, here it is." She looked to the moonlit sky to organize her thoughts. "You've done so much, _too_ much good for humankind to be evil by any definition. Any missteps you've made, as far as I know, were made with noble intentions, and only proves that you aren't perfect."

As much as Yami wanted to embrace her answer as reassurance he so badly needed, the first and most prominent image to enter his mind was the doleful look Yugi gave him in his mind after he made the decision to activate the Seal, followed by Weevil bracing his tiny body as another brutal attack was sent his way, and finally the Village of Sun, trashed to ruins beneath a pillar of smoke. "I've caused a lot of misery for humankind as well."

"Small scale in comparison," she assured, "and still, that doesn't erase all the good you've done. I've already told you how you've helped me, and you've helped countless others too, Yugi most of all. If you were truly evil, everything would've happened _very_ differently. Hypothetically, it would've been too easy for you to take over Yugi's body and steal his existence in the modern world to do your bidding. Like the spirit of the ring does with Bakura. Or like what Marik's other personality did…" She shuddered at the memory.

His fist clenched in the water. "I wouldn't dream of doing something so cruel."

"Yeah, duh. That's my point. Instead of using him, you guide him, and protect him, and love him. Sure, in the heat of the moment you made a pretty crucial error in judgement, but that only means you're human and you make mistakes just like everyone else. Like I said, even your mistakes were made with noble intentions. You were trying to free Professor Hawkins, and protect Yugi."

"I never intended for Yugi to pay the price for my loss," Yami added bitterly.

"Exactly. He wanted to take the fall. He wanted to help you like you've helped him. He believes in you, Pharaoh."

He bit his lip. "But Dakotah—"

"—was a real jerk," Téa interjected with an edge in her voice, "and honestly someone I really don't want to see or think about ever again."

Yami opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. He had more to add, but Téa deserved some space on that subject. Leaning back against the bank, he glanced at the Millennium Puzzle, its reflection of the moonlight halved by Téa's shadow. "So, that's the truth, then, isn't it?"

She took a labored breath. "Yup. There's your corny monologue. Are you going to believe me now?"

The pharaoh bit his lip, taking his time to find true, whole-hearted satisfaction with her answer. "Alright. My word is my bond. I believe you."

Téa smiled warmly in relief. "Good." She reached for her socks, pulling her feet out of the river. "We should get going."

"Or, we could get some sleep and start in the morning," offered Yami. "We have a long journey ahead of us either way. Let's go when we're more rested."

Téa raised an eyebrow, a smirk teasing the corner of her mouth as she flung the sock back into her shoe. "Well well, sounds like someone is finally being the practical one again. You're usually the one so gung-ho about getting somewhere as fast as possible."

"I'm learning that I can't help others until I help myself first."

"A-plus for improvement," Téa commended.

The pharaoh surprised himself with a sincere laugh. Téa looked pleased with it.

"Ya know, since I guess we're here for the night, I could go for a dip too."

"Sure. But just warning you, the water is very cold. It just became tolerable for me."

"I used to play water polo before I got into dance," Téa explained as she shed her jacket, "Warm-up laps in the pool started at 5am every morning, and the pool wasn't heated. I can handle it."

"Forgive me for assuming otherwise."

Téa shrugged. "It's fine. I have plenty of other things to be mad at you for, so I'll let you off the hook this time."

Yami smiled. "I appreciate it."

Téa peeled off her blue shirt, intact but smeared with dried blood and sweat, and threw it over their pile of clothes. As she fidgeted with her bra to straighten it, she tried not to focus on the unusual conditions she was currently sharing with the pharaoh, and noted with displeasure that her nerves were harder to dismiss than she anticipated. After all, aside from summer breaks at the beach and local water park, this was the most skin she'd ever exposed to a male, made even more surreal that it was the _pharaoh_ she was in the presence of, and that she was in her intimates instead of a trendy bikini. She glanced at him, who had his face turned away to give her privacy. In the dark she couldn't be too sure, but there seemed to be a faint rosiness crossing over the bridge of his nose that he was trying to hide.

"Relax, I'm keeping my underwear on," Téa comforted, more for herself than him. "Plus, after the hell we've been through, there's no point to bothering with modesty."

Yami centered his head, though his eyes stayed planted on the water's surface. "If you say so." His voice was quieter and more uncertain than usual—after seeing him face monsters many times his size with his famous nerves of steel and commanding voice, Téa often forgot how shy he could be off the field, even more so in the presence of an undressed woman as nearly _any_ boy at his fixed age would be. He remained stock still as Téa shed the rest of her clothes and dipped her feet back into the water.

"Wow, that is _cold_ ," Téa hissed as her body slipped beneath the surface, with only her head and neck above water. She gathered water in her cupped hands and splashed her face, rubbing the dirt that had caked stubbornly on her cheeks and forehead. After her face was reasonably clean, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the bank where it was shallower, careful to keep her hair dry. "Ah… that's much better. Good call on staying here for the night. We're probably not going to find something like this for a while, so we might as well enjoy it." She stopped herself, her voice was starting to sound like nervous babble.

A chorus of crickets scored the serene swish of the river's gentle current. Téa sighed contentedly every so often, letting the cool water caress her sore body and wash the wounds on her skin. Seeing her eyes still closed, Yami took the opportunity to steal a look at her. With the removal of her disheveled clothes, the spotlight of the moon on her porcelain skin, and the fine features of her long, curvaceous figure, Téa looked like the elegant ballerina she aspired to be, a lithe and graceful swan.

Though Yami had, to his word, saw her as an equal as far as allies and companionship went, he'd never seen her in such an intimate setting, nor did he think he ever would. He was reminded that she was a _woman,_ after all, and a very beautiful one at that. His stomach tightened as the thought crossed his mind without warning. Being near her in such a state was beginning to make him feel nervous, apprehensive about something he couldn't quite put his finger on, intermingling with all sorts of other complex issues and muddled emotions he had to contend with.

But it was too late for him to linger on it—before he knew it, he was blinking dumbly at Téa's wide sapphire eyes staring right back at him, her expression unreadable. Mortified, he threw his gaze to the side, feeling heat rise to his face and neck. His heart thumped so loudly in his chest he could hear it drum in his ear at a rising pace. He opened his mouth to apologize, though he quickly shut it, having no clue what to say.

After too long of uncomfortable silence, Yami cleared his throat. "I think I should get dressed now," he murmured, avoiding her eyes. He waded through the waist-high water and reached for the bank, when Téa's hand shot out and caught it firmly in her wet fingers. He gasped as Téa pulled him towards her, and, in one swift motion, placed her chilled lips on his mouth in an angled liplock. Her other hand rose from the water to hold the side of his neck, bringing water to run down his back and chest.

Meanwhile, Yami was surprised to find himself capitulating almost immediately, as if it were something he'd been needing all along. He let the rush take his battered heart and body on a blissful joyride, interrupted by her lips releasing his with a loud smack and chilly desert night air passing between them. The temptation was too great, and he had no resolve left—the pharaoh chased her lips for another kiss, which she received and returned with a soft moan. Téa whimpered and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts tightly against his hard chest while pinning her tongue to the roof of his mouth. They grabbed at each other's exposed flesh in desperate haste, pulling each other closer, deepening the kiss every way they could. Each touch was more zealous than the last, seeking to vent their internal woes, to shut out their painful memories, to let the world's bleak future drift out of the center of their attention. Even if just for a moment.

But moments like these were fleeting, and they always came at a high cost.

Téa's lips slowly peeled off his, and the next thing Yami registered was guilt, smothering the happiness budding in his heart. He backed away a step or two. Téa mirrored him, with a similarly despondent expression on her face.

"Well, this isn't good," she said reluctantly, her blue eyes falling to stare at his collarbone.

"Definitely not," he confirmed solemnly.

Téa cupped her nose and mouth in her hands. "Oh God." She turned herself away from him, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her two index fingers. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean… I shouldn't have pressured you like that."

Yami swallowed hard. "You didn't. I'm just as guilty as you."

She frowned. "I just thought…" she trailed off, letting her hair fall in front of her eyes. She pressed her lips. "I don't know what I thought."

Yami raised his eyebrows at himself. "I don't know what I was thinking either."

Téa kept her eyes to the water. A breeze passed through them, making her shiver. She rubbed over the goosebumps on her arms and chest. "It's getting cold. I'm going to get dressed."

The pharaoh nodded, pulling himself out of the water to dress himself as well. He turned his body away from Téa as they both got dressed, not daring to say a word to each other. Yami lifted his jacket to whip the dust from it before pulling it on. Keeping his back to her, he scanned the area, finding a few small cavities in the wall of the mountain, some of which would hopefully be large enough to shelter two people.

"I'll be right back," he muttered to Téa, receiving an affirmative 'mmhmm' in response.

Yami returned shortly, finding Téa sitting by the stream and gulping down water from a tin water bottle with the big letters 'HONOR ROLL' inscribed on the length. She held it out to him. "Here. You're probably super dehydrated."

He took it hesitantly. "Is it safe?"

Téa shrugged. "I don't have anything to purify it with. But it's far enough away from civilization to be polluted, so it's definitely not the worst it could be. Worst case scenario, we might get a little stomach ache. Still better than dying of thirst in the middle of nowhere."

Yami nodded, looking less than enthusiastic about the options. He took a few short sips. "I found a small cave nearby that should have enough room for us to sleep. It's tucked away so we should be safe for the night… relatively speaking."

Stuffing the water bottle in her backpack, Téa rose to her feet. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Well, it's no Holiday Inn," Téa remarked casually as she set her backpack down, "but it'll do."

The cave, generously speaking, was even smaller than Myrtle's tent—while the mouth provided sufficient width for two young adults with a backpack and a clunky duel disk, it was not tall enough to stand in and hardly deep enough to stay completely hidden without tucking their legs in.

"Sorry, it was the best available," Yami apologized flatly. He seated himself on the right side, unfastening his duel disk from his arm to set it down beside him. Téa sat on the other side, letting her back fall against the wall behind her. She closed her eyes and let a long, heavy sigh hiss through her teeth.

"I'm sorry I did that," she finally said, catching Yami off guard. "Kiss you, I mean."

Yami rested his elbows on his knees. "Don't dwell on it. I think it would be best if we just pretend it didn't happen."

"That's not the easiest thing to just… pretend didn't happen."

"We were doing just fine up until this point."

"Look," Téa sharpened her tone, "you might be able to block out whatever you don't want to remember, but I'm not as gifted in that department. I can't just ignore what happened."

Yami clenched his teeth. "You're sorely mistaken if you really think that comes easily to me."

"Then you remember how much you needed it," she responded boldly. "And how good it felt."

"This is extremely inappropriate," he chided, turning his head in discomfort.

"But it's true," she insisted. "That was the first time in ages that I saw true passion from you that didn't have to do with being angry."

He sighed. "Please don't do this, Téa."

"I just don't want to lose you, that's all," she continued.

"Stop… please."

After a moment's pause, Téa sighed defeatedly. "Alright. Fine. In fact, I take it back. I'm not sorry at all."

Words failed Yami. He rubbed at his eyes, feeling crushed by the oppressive silence Téa set for them. A strong emotion without a name bubbled up inside him, compelling him to action, and he could contain it no longer.

"God _damn_ it all, Téa."

Pushing her shoulder to the cavern wall, Yami pressed his lips against hers and devoured her fully. After an initial squeak of surprise, she moaned sensually through her nose, sliding her hands up his neck and over his jawbones, kissing him back just as greedily.

 _Damn her, she was right. I can't help it._

Yami's thoughts spun like a rotating prize wheel, darting from the seclusion of their shelter from probing eyes, to the exquisite image of her scantily clothed body soaking in the water, to the sweet solace of her lips as she deployed her affection on his, to Yugi's face watching him from within the Seal as his spirit form faded into the light…

Something snapped inside Yami. He backed off, creating as much distance between them as the narrow cavern would allow. "Wait… what am I doing?" He looked at his hands shamefully. "What am I _doing_?" He turned his back to her, panting, placing his fingers over his still-tingling lips. He shook his head. "No, this is wrong. I can't…" He let his hand fall to his side.

Téa reached for him, but took her hand back as she saw his shoulders tense, as if he sensed her. She laid it over her mouth instead.

"After all I've done to him… how can I just continue to be so _selfish_?!" He leaned on his forearm against the wall, feeling dizzy and winded.

"Hey, hey," Téa tried to ease him, "it's alright. We can stop."

He whipped around, revealing the thick tears sitting in his eyes. "Damnit, Téa! Don't you know? Surely you _must_ know!"

Téa jumped back as if his raised voice physically struck her. "Know what? You're not making any se—"

"Yugi _loves_ you!"

She froze, wincing at his pained words struck her in the heart. Those three painful words were quickly absorbed by the cavern's dry acoustics, but the significance they carried weighed heavily on their hearts long after.

Yami tried and failed to control his erratic breathing. "Yugi has loved you since before either of you knew I even existed. And here I am, stealing his body, and using it to steal the woman he loves away from him! After he _sacrificed_ himself for me, _this_ is how I repay him?!" He whirled back around to swing his fist into the hard wall, grunting angrily.

Téa frowned. She could hear his battered heart crumbling to pieces again. His voice was so raw and fractured, worn down by guilt, grief, and exhaustion to the point where it was hardly recognizable.

His fist tightened at his side. "Is that not what you defined as 'evil', Téa? Stealing his existence to do my bidding?"

"Hey, don't go on about that again," Téa admonished. "You promised you'd believe me. I said you're not evil. Nothing has changed."

Yami jerked his head away. "Even if you didn't know about Yugi's feelings for you, _I_ certainly did. And that's all that matters."

"No," argued Téa, shaking her head. "That's not all that matters. There's much more to it than that. You're not acknowledging my part in this." She hugged her arms. "You're going through a lot right now, and you're vulnerable and confused. I made things worse by taking advantage of you. I see that now."

She paused to swallow a lump in her throat. "And yes, to make it all worse, I _did_ know. I know I'm not evil, but sometimes, when I think about you, how much I…" she paused to bite her lip, "I sure _feel_ evil. It's just not fair to Yugi. Or you for that matter." She turned her head away in shame. "But I can't change how I feel about you, no matter how hard I try."

"Is that really true?" Yami asked.

Téa nodded. "Yeah. Awful, isn't it?" She sniffled. "And don't worry, I don't expect you to reciprocate it in any way. No hard feelings."

Yami paused. He had to choose his words carefully, proving to be a difficult task.

"Whether I do or don't doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact that I _can't_." He looked away, unable to bear looking at her. "I'm sorry, Téa. I truly am."

Téa shook her head. "No, it's alright. I can't force you to feel anything you don't. I should've known how hopeless it was from the start."

"That's not—!" he blurted his half-formed thought, surprised at his own compulsion to retort. "That's not what I said."

She cocked her head. "What do you mean, then?"

Yami waved his hand in a wide motion between them. "Even if, after all this, we get Yugi back, recover the God cards, and defeat Dartz and the Leviathan… then what?"

"Well… we go and recover your memories. Right?"

"That is contingent on Yugi's willingness to forgive me and continue helping me."

"He will," Téa insisted.

"Neither of us can be so certain," he argued. "But, suppose he does put this behind us, and we pursue the secrets of my memories again. What do you think that will entail?"

She paused. "I don't know," she admitted quietly.

"I'll ask you this," Yami stated, "what would you say if we learned the truth about my past, and you don't like what you see?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if Rafael was right? What if we learn that I was a malevolent king who used the Millennium Items to tyrannize the kingdom? What if I truly was the cause of Egypt's downfall because of my own capitulation to the darkness?"

"That's not even—"

"What if it's worse than that? What if my past persona was truly the most despicable man you've ever seen? Wouldn't you be devastated?"

Téa's hand smacked down on his wrist. "Stop it!"

Yami froze. Téa's grip tightened, but she lowered her voice. "You want to know what I'd say, even if all those things were true? I'd say that I don't give a damn about _any_ of it. Whoever or whatever you were in the past doesn't matter to me, because that's not who you are now." She released him, but held his attention with her intense gaze. "You are who you are now, not what you've done thousands of years ago that you can't even remember."

His eyes narrowed at the floor. "Even if you're right... even if my past self were a noble ruler… what if I present the three God Cards to the tablet in the museum like before, except that this time, they take me away from this world?" He looked up at her again. "What if that's the last time you'd ever see me again?"

Téa scoffed at the suggestion. "They wouldn't do that! Why would they?"

"Any number of reasons." At Téa's uncomprehending look, Yami let out a sigh. "Téa… you seem to forget so easily that I don't belong here, in this world, in this era. It could simply be that they want to put me back where I should've been all this time."

Téa grimaced sourly as she processed. Yami frowned. He hated dealing her that pain, but he pressed on. "No matter how you look at it, I won't be around forever, and you know it. Sooner or later I will have to go. And you will have to move on without me."

"You don't know that for sure," she argued, though her weak tone indicated her own uncertainty.

He gave her a stern look. "I don't need to. The fact remains—I cannot share such a special bond with you. And I'm sorry for that. It was wrong of me to lead you on as I had."

"I told you, it seemed like you needed it," Téa recalled.

"What I need is to get Yugi back," Yami deflected. "And free those villagers, as well as all of Dartz's prisoners. I need to stop Dartz and his cronies from hurting anyone else. I need to somehow prevent the world from _destroying_ itself." He looked to the wall beside her. "I need to face Yugi, man to man, and apologize for betraying his trust and abandoning him." He waved his hand in a circular motion at the wrist. "The list goes on. But what I _don't_ need is to indulge myself so impulsively, no matter how tempting it may be."

Téa swallowed a hard lump in her throat and nodded slowly. "I understand. I'm just a distraction." Her voice came out weak and wobbly, causing the pharaoh to look woefully at her.

"No, Téa, you're not a distraction. You're a very special person, with a precious heart." He placed a hand over hers. "You deserve far better than this."

Téa didn't react to Yami's gesture, though she enjoyed the comfort it brought. His hand was nearly as cold as hers, but joined together they began to warm. He squeezed her hand briefly before releasing it, much to her disappointment. She heard a soft yawn from him shortly afterwards.

"We should try to sleep," said Yami, noting Téa's eyelids falling half-closed. "It has been a rough day for the both of us."

"Mmhmm," Téa muttered wearily. Holding her jacket closed over her chest, she turned and lied on her side facing the center of their shelter, propping her head on her backpack. Her eyes closed, and her facial muscles slowly relaxed.

Yami lied on his back beside her, keeping himself at a conservative distance—at least, as much as their tight quarters allowed. He stared up at the ceiling, noticing for the first time how much of a collective toll the past couple days had taken on his—Yugi's—body. He truly felt terrible; his stomach was aching with hunger and his head pounded from physical trauma and dehydration. Even the rocky roof over his head spun slowly if he stared at it for too long. He'd been quite negligent and careless with his vessel in his host's absence. He never bothered to favor it with sleep or nourishment. Between the cumulative damage he'd taken from all his deadly duels in the Seal of Orichalcos, the non-serious but detrimental injuries from the train crash, and the coup d'état of sorts in the village of Sun… he wondered quite seriously how either of them weren't dead, or at least irreparably damaged.

Perhaps, somehow, the Egyptian Gods were still on his side, even as Dartz was stealing their divine power. Perhaps he was meant to see this through to the end, and justice—in whatever form it took—would prevail. It wasn't until this point that he considered the possibility that his travel companion was _also_ an instrumental part of this preordained destiny he believed in so adamantly; after all, she was there with him when Ishizu Ishtar first told him of it in the museum, and had remained stubbornly loyal since. Perhaps there was something more to their unique, tumultuous relationship that wasn't so coincidental.

"Téa?" he whispered, rolling to face her and propping himself on his elbow.

The girl stirred, but kept her eyes closed. "Hmm?"

"Sorry, I know you're trying to sleep. But… thank you. For everything."

She smiled sleepily. Her voice was light and dreamy as a gentle autumn breeze. "You're welcome."

Yami mirrored her smile with his own, though she couldn't see it. He watched her pink lips part ever so slightly as she slipped into a heavy slumber, and blushingly recalled the highly pleasurable rush surging through him when they were converging on his own. Having never engaged in such an act with another person before (at least, as far as he knew), Yami instantly fell headfirst in that lustful spell, ravenously taking more and more and finding the taste sweeter each time. He was endowed with strength, purpose, something to pour his heart into, a euphoric sensation to share with someone he genuinely cared for very deeply.

The pharaoh's smile faded. It didn't matter how good it made him feel; this was precisely what he was trying to avoid. Like the Seal of Orichalcos, he found out much too late that Téa was very dangerous to him, a powerful vice for which he had to exercise extreme self-control. The more he indulged, the deeper he let himself fall into its clutches. And, like the power high from the Seal, the crashes hit almost as hard as the consequences.

Yami rolled to his other side with his back to Téa, closing his eyes despite his restlessness. He had to stay focused on the task at hand from now on. There were countless people waiting on his rescue. Yugi was counting on him to ensure that his sacrifice wasn't for nothing. He couldn't afford another slip of control. Not after the village of Sun. Not after Yugi's sacrifice. Not after he had treated Téa so poorly. Not after he'd nearly _killed_ a man.

Though it helped that he had Téa's faith in him, recovering his own faith in himself was another matter entirely.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Stay tuned for Part III! And perhaps an interlude... :D

Follow me on Tumblr! **username: atemusluckygal-fanfiction**


	4. INTERLUDE II

Please review content warnings before reading this chapter. This one is heavy.

I do not own anything you recognize.

Also, since I am centering the continuity on the dub anime, with bits and pieces of the others, I am going by the American law and judicial system. I always try to keep the central location of Domino City ambiguous (neither America nor Japan) but this was one of those situations where I actually had to make a definitive choice. And since my American readership is the largest, I felt that keeping everything relating closest to American law and culture was the way to go. I apologize if it takes away from the story in any way.

Shout out to Dan Green, Yugi's and Yami Yugi's American voice actor! He used to be a stage actor and did a lot of Shakespeare. If he and I ever got to collaborate on a Yu-Gi-Oh! related project I think my heart would literally stop beating.

But anyway, prepare for darkness and baggage.

* * *

 **Vices**  
INTERLUDE II

Arms of orange sun rays reached over the mountaintops as dawn crept into the valley. The chilly, crisp morning air tickled Téa's cheeks and she sat up to rub groggily at her eyes. It was the weekend, and she should've been sleeping in, alone and comfortable on her tempurpedic mattress at home. Finally, a day to recover from a long week of school by day and dance rehearsal by night! No stress, no worries, and there was always Sunday night to finish the weekend homework. She'd sleep 'til nearly ten in the morning and then see if the boys were free to grab some frozen yogurt at the usual spot. If not, she'd pick up a book, get ahead on the studying, or spend hours watching videos online of Anna Pavlova or Misty Copeland. To think… if she hadn't met Yugi—and, by proxy, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle—her life would be this ordinary _all_ the time, rather than four months out of the year at most.

Instead, she woke up in a dirty, cold, and cramped crater in the side of a cliff, in the middle of a dry valley somewhere in southwest America, wearing the clothes from the day before that reeked of sweat and dirt. She was previously lying almost back-to-back with the man she felt a rather confusing storm of various feelings for, the displaced spirit who had inadvertently brought so much adventure, and conflict, to her life.

Téa blinked twice, trying to clear her eyes enough to see, and peeked over at her travel companion. The pharaoh was still fast asleep, lying perfectly still on his side with his head resting on his arm, and he seemed like he really needed it. His eyelids were relaxed, his lips were slightly parted, and he breathed so noiselessly Téa had to make sure he _was_ breathing at all. She smiled at his sleeping form, relieved that he wasn't being his usual restless self and had actually allowed himself to recharge, for once.

 _"_ _Pharaoh, hang on! There's gotta be a way out of here!"_

 _Téa panted heavily as she laboriously stumbled through the commons square of the Village of Sun, weighed down by Yami's unconscious body with his arm slung over her neck. She dared not look back—Dakotah could be right on her heels for all she knew. Though she swung at his head with the piece of lumber as hard as she could, Dakotah was still conscious; she could hear him cursing at her from the ground as she pulled Yami to his feet and led him away._

 _Dodging surrounding conflicts between Soldier and civilian, Téa dragged him as stealthily as possible into the outer rim of the village border, where a thick clump of trees gave way to a long path through a vast forest. She paused, feeling as if she were abandoning people in need, and considered the preciousness of her cargo. He'd never been more vulnerable, hanging limply at her shoulder with his head bowed low, completely unable to defend himself. The team of Orichalcos soldiers seemed more interested in the Pharaoh's soul than anyone else's, which was enough on its own to realize how badly Dartz needed him for his final plans._

 _She could indeed do something to help at least a handful of innocent people escape before she herself would get captured, but leaving the unconscious pharaoh unattended for any amount of time was too high a risk for her to take. Flinching at the sound of desperate screams behind her, she rushed forward into the trees with Yami in tow, silently apologizing to the villagers she was leaving behind._

 _With the proverbial "chosen one" completely in her care, the responsibility for the world's future temporarily fell on her, adding both determination and dread to her racing heart. For once she realized what was potentially at stake, she understood Yami Yugi's fear of failure._

Careful not to disturb the pharaoh's precious slumber, Téa carefully extracted her backpack, crept out of their tiny hollow, and tip-toed towards the river. She enjoyed stretching her long legs after having to sleep with them curled halfway in all night to stay inconspicuous. In fact, once she was out on her feet, she found a few moments of solace admiring the natural beauty around her. The valley would've been a beautiful place to wake up to after a night of smores over a crackling fire, ghost stories, at least one hilariously dramatic duel between Yugi and Joey, and Tristan fumbling amateurishly on his guitar.

A feeling of guilt passed through her. While she was strolling leisurely through the valley, Yugi and the other captured souls were prisoners in Dartz's lair, wherever that was, waiting to be fed to the Leviathan. Survivor's guilt was a real thing, and not something she'd had to deal with for a long time. In spending so much time helping Yami with _his_ survivor's guilt, she'd unfortunately neglected her own.

It took her roughly five minutes of walking before she could hear the swish of water splashing against the bank, and her stomach growled. She and Yami hadn't eaten since yesterday's breakfast—Yami even turned most of it away after only a couple bites—and wondered if there were any fish to catch.

She reached the edge, watching the water run for a few minutes. Totally clear, with the exception of some minnows or other fish too tiny to eat. She groaned along with her empty, unappeased stomach. Even if there _were_ edible creatures nearby, she had nothing with which to catch them, or to cook them, for that matter. So much for that.

Sighing in defeat, Téa set her backpack down and knelt by the bank, reaching her hand in the stream to let the current gently usher her hand downstream as far as her arm would go. It was even colder than before, and very refreshing. Her mind wandered to the night before, remembering the brief episode of suppressed desire she and the pharaoh unleashed on each other in this very river. It was an impulsive, horrible idea, perhaps could be considered unhealthy. It certainly complicated things a great deal. A shiver coursed down her spine, unrelated to the water chilling her fingertips. The flesh above her hip bones were still slightly tender from when the pharaoh had fervently dug his fingertips into them, a sign she took to mean that he was receiving at least some amount of pleasure. When she had first pulled away, she intended to apologize for her boldness right then and there. To her surprise, Yami initiated a kiss of his own before she could say a word. She felt that velvety voice, the deep and confident rumble that first clued her in on his separate existence from Yugi, humming against her mouth in ecstasy when her hands made their own explorations of his bare back, waist, and neck.

When they broke away simultaneously, his face was sobering, as if he were coming down from a higher plane of existence, allowing regret to emerge and settle on his features instead. Téa mirrored his expression, feeling guilt of her own for tangling their hearts into this already convoluted mess. They were confronted with reality again, with many innocent captured souls waiting to be rescued, being stranded and separated from their friends with no provisions, a mystical alien stone brainwashing people with a spell card, a radical cult hellbent on wiping out humanity, and a large target on the pharaoh's back.

She was in love with him, and she could no longer pretend otherwise. Neither the timing nor the circumstances could've been less ideal.

Téa stood, wiping the water from her hand. She shook off her jacket and threw it over her backpack. This was her last chance to escape reality, before she and Yami had to spend another day dealing with it. She closed her eyes, let the music of the flowing river fill the space of her thoughts, and raised her arms.

* * *

The pharaoh stirred, groaning as he started to roll over.

It was the weekend. Yugi should've been sleeping in until about nine-thirty. He should've been eating breakfast with his grandfather and helping him unload some boxes for the weekend rush. He should've been getting ice cream with his friends, and on their way to see the new superhero movie or visiting the small card shop on Garden and Main (everyone would swear not to tell Grandpa). Yami had told them about it after he himself had gone in with Téa the week before Battle City. His success in picking out good booster packs was more than enough inspiration for them to peruse their collection for themselves.

Sometimes, a production of a ballet would come to Domino City for the weekend, and Téa would go see it with Yugi. The other boys were never interested, and would instead go to Tristan's house to play video games. Yami would, of course, be invited to the ballet by extension, and once or twice Yugi had allowed him to be the one to sit beside Téa and enjoy it in the physical realm. Truth be told, Yami rather enjoyed seeing how inspired Téa looked, clapping gleefully as each dancer took their bow, for himself. It made him feel closer to her, drawn to her even, from being the one Téa was sharing her joy with, the side she allowed him to see. And she always knew which 'Yugi' was with her each night, without being told.

 _"_ _Guess it's your turn tonight, eh Pharaoh?" she asked playfully, nudging him with a wink. "You'll like this one. A Midsummer Night's Dream."_

 _Yami raised an eyebrow. "As in the Shakespearean play?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, just the ballet version of it."_

 _"_ _So… they all have to_ dance _while running around and falling in love with the wrong people?" he asked, with some humor._

 _Téa laughed. "Basically." She tapped his arm, letting her hand linger there. "Here are our seats. Wow, we're so close to the orchestra. Neat!"_

 _From inside his head, Yugi had started giggling quietly (but not quietly enough) in Yami's ear. When questioned, the young one only responded with a dismissive wave of the hand. He never really explained what had him so amused._

 _Out of the whole production, Yami found that he enjoyed the dancing the most._

Remembering the limited space, the pharaoh's body gave a jerk as he anticipated rolling into her. "Sorry, Téa," he mumbled. Instead, he found empty space where her sleeping form should've been, and opened his eyes to find himself alone.

* * *

Téa grimaced at the sound of her sneakers crunching into the dirt floor. It was making it more difficult to imagine herself in her pointe shoes, floating noiselessly across the stage of a large, packed theater above a swelling orchestra. She stretched her arms to the sky and twirled, trying to ignore the rocks and gravel grinding under her "pointe".

 _"_ _You're doing great, Téa! Loosen your back… that's it!"_

 _A young Téa grinned as her instructor guided her back into a more relaxed and flexible arch before moving on to the next student._

 _"_ _Like this, Ms. Green?" Téa asked, twirling in her modified position as the teacher came back down the row._

 _"_ _Yes, much better! Keep up the good work and you'll be a star someday!"_

Seven years later, and here she was, dancing in dirty clothes and sneakers in an to an empty canyon, trying not to think about how close the world was to falling into an all-out war against humanity. She still wasn't a star. And, if this 'Dartz' guy succeeded, she never would be. _Nobody_ would be.

Téa glided her way out of her spin, spreading her arms. She opened her eyes to make sure she wasn't about to fall in the water, when she spotted her sole audience member standing nearly twenty feet away.

The pharaoh, looking a great deal more rested, watched quietly and curiously as if he were observing a deer guiding her fawn to the spring. He tilted his chin down half an inch as he noticed her stopping. "Forgive me, I've just never seen you dance with such passion before. I didn't have the heart to stop you."

Embarrassed, Téa straightened herself into a normal standing position. "Thanks. I'm just stretching before all the climbing we have to do today."

Yami simply nodded. "I see." He fell quiet.

Téa lowered her brow. "Is something wrong? Besides the obvious, I mean."

Rather than a verbal reply, Yami let his gaze wander to the river. He motioned to it with his hand and glanced meaningfully at Téa. She accepted his invitation, and they sat together on the water's edge.

"Can I ask you another question?" Yami finally asked.

"Sure." She smirked. "Are you going to believe me this time, or do I have to give you another essay answer?"

Yami chuckled. "You can say as much or as little as you'd like. I shall believe it all the same."

Téa smiled. "Alright, shoot."

He stared down the stream, and a pensive look came to his face. "How do you keep hatred from your heart, Téa?"

Téa lowered her brow. She hadn't been asked that question in a long time. "Well, I guess it helps me to remember that hatred is such a heavy burden to carry all the time. I mean, for all the energy it takes from you, it doesn't give you anything useful in return. You can hate someone as hard or as long as you'd like... the river still runs, and the sun still rises."

Yami blinked, impressed by the insight she held. "You make a fair point."

She shrugged humbly in response. "Yeah, but… I _get_ it, though, you know? Sometimes you just want to hate someone with all your heart, when they hurt you or someone you care about." Her fist clenched. "You want to get them back for it, you want to _be_ the bad karma everyone tells you they'll get one day, because that's the only way they'll get a _fucking_ _clue_ of how much pain they've caused you."

Yami raised his eyebrows, a bit caught off guard by her sudden vulgarity. But, as her words sank in, he realized he'd never heard it put so succinctly before.

Téa softened her voice. "But hatred is nothing more than a result of pain, or fear, or ignorance. What it's _responding_ to is what's worth addressing."

"How did you figure that out?" Yami questioned.

Téa took a long deep breath. "Nobody knows this except Yugi, but… I used to live in a different town, like a long way south from Domino, before I met Yugi. And also… normally I don't talk about him, but I have an older brother."

He was surprised to hear this. "Oh?"

"Yup. His name is Dunstan. He just turned twenty-three a couple months back." She paused, remembering that she had to mail him a birthday card from the post office to avoid her parents knowing about it.

"Why is he a secret, if you don't mind my asking?" Yami queried.

"Well… he's in prison," she answered evenly. "It's a long story, but I'll keep it as short as I can." She shifted her position from sitting on her knees to crossed-legged. "Dunstan always struggled in school. He was definitely a smart guy, but he couldn't keep up with schoolwork, and forgot stuff all the time. He tried to get some help, but… Mom and Dad are pretty old-fashioned. You know… the 'bootstrap' mentality. They chalked it up to him being lazy and unmotivated. It caused him so much pain, and he was miserable all the time. He felt so powerless." She paused meaningfully, smiling a bit. "One day, Dunstan came home and he was beaming like the sun, saying how happy he was that he got through the entire school day, with complete notes, and learned _so_ much. We were surprised, but relieved that he was doing better. He kept getting better each day, and things seemed to be looking up."

She pressed her lips together. "Later, he told me in secret that his classmate was selling him some of her Adderall, which is a prescription drug doctors use to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder, but people obtain it illegally for recreational use, too."

"So, he must've had one of those disorders, then?" Yami reasoned.

Téa shrugged. "Not narcolepsy, but possibly ADD. But, like I said, my parents are old-fashioned. They don't believe in that stuff, and he couldn't tell my parents about the drugs. If the school found out, Dunstan could've been suspended and he wouldn't get to graduate. It's a heavily controlled substance and he couldn't get any of his own without a doctor's prescription, so eventually he had to get it off the street."

"From drug dealers," Yami deduced. Téa nodded solemnly.

"Of course with senior finals coming up, the stress started piling on him, and he started taking dangerous amounts of it to study. It wasn't long before he started coming home with… other stuff," Téa continued with a sour look. "Adderall went from a controlled dosage, to uncontrolled and unregulated, to cocaine, crack-cocaine, whatever else is out there. Ironically, he started failing school again, just weeks before graduation. He lost sight of himself, what was important."

Yami gazed sadly upon Téa's face. She was clearly pained from reliving the memories, but she pressed on determinedly. She stared distantly into the water.

"He got so addicted. He got addicted to feeling empowered, feeling in control, finally filling that void inside him. But then he had a bigger void to deal with, and he kept using so he didn't have to deal with that kind of emptiness again. Every time he was between benders, he got really irritable. He would lose his temper and say things he didn't mean. He would call me horrible names and slam the door on me whenever I tried to help him. This was the same brother who, even on his worst days, always called me his 'little cup of Téa' or 'Té-ana Pavlova', after my idol ballerina Anna Pavlova."

"Mom found a crack pipe in his room, and all hell broke loose," Téa explained with some tension in her face, "He came clean, told her everything, and begged for help. She and Dad kicked him out of the house, told him not to come back until he was sober. I begged them not to, but they told me not to defend him, and that he's turned 'bad'. I was about to lose my big brother, and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it."

Téa stopped to wipe tears from her eyes, taking a moment to steady her breathing. She felt a strong hand take hold of hers, and looked up to find a pair of amethyst eyes sympathizing with her, sharing her sadness. She composed herself as best she could.

"I couldn't go to sleep that night. I was so worried about him, wondering where he was or when I'd see him again. Then, about a week later in the middle of the night, my mom woke me up in a panic. That night we found out exactly where he was." Her lip quivered. "He had called Mom from jail. He had mixed alcohol with… I don't know I can't remember… but he came back to the house, all jaded, and stole her car to… to drive it off Domino Pier."

The pharaoh gasped quietly. He squeezed her hand as she lost her voice.

"He was going to end it all, Pharaoh. He had given up. It broke my heart. But… nothing prepared me for what I learned next."

Téa took a deep breath, and gathered her courage. "He didn't make it to the pier, because he lost control and crashed into another car. Dunstan walked away with just scratches and bruises, but… he killed the passenger, and injured the driver. The passenger… was Jennifer Green, my dance teacher."

Téa stopped; her voice was too weighed down with emotion. She took back her hand and looked away from Yami in shame, as if she were the one in her brother's place.

"Dunstan was tried as an adult, pled guilty on all charges, and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison with no parole. Everyone in town hated him, called him evil, a monster, a murderer. They said he should be locked up for good. Ms. Green's fiancé, the other driver in the accident, spent weeks rallying to give him the death penalty."

"The death penalty?" Yami asked disbelievingly. "I understand that he is angry, but he believes the most appropriate punishment is death? Especially considering that he did not do it on purpose?"

"Well, she was the love of his life," Téa reminded him. "Not to mention that he was paralyzed from the waist down from the same crash that killed her. He probably felt pain that's indescribable to those who haven't been in his shoes. No one blamed him for being vindictive… and truth be told, neither could I. The school had to protect me from my dance classmates because of the backlash. If they so much as mentioned Dunstan's name to me, they'd be sent straight to the principal's office. This was years before I met Joey and Tristan, and sometimes I wonder how differently they'd treat me, if they knew. You know how they can be."

"So they don't know," Yami confirmed.

"Right. Yugi knows, though. I guess that's why, when we moved to Domino, Yugi and I became such good friends. We think the same way when it comes to that stuff. He never judged me for what happened. Not that Joey and Tristan _would_ , necessarily, but… I always know with Yugi."

Yami nodded in agreement at that. A look of understanding, along with silent admiration for his host's aptitude for sympathy and kindness, softened his features.

"Being surrounded by all the condemnation, it was hard not to give in to hatred, it really was. I spent so long in denial, feeling betrayed, waking up every morning pretending it was all a dream… until I couldn't anymore. Ms. Green was my first dance teacher, and she inspired me so much. It hurt to even _think_ about dancing after she died, and it was my dream! I'd walk to school past flyers on telephone poles and lampposts saying 'Justice for Jennifer! Bring back the Death Penalty!' with her picture on it. I'd overhear classmates talking about it, saying such awful things. I'd bite my tongue at the dinner table while my parents called their own son a good-for-nothing crackhead and a disgrace to the family. They decided soon after to move the three of us to Domino, to 'start fresh'… as if Dunstan were a thing of the past."

Téa shook her head. "And even after all this time, I still can't bring myself to hate my brother. Not after all the nights when I'd sneak in his room after bedtime to console him after a hard day at school, or on report card day, or when Mom yelled at him again for a bad test score. Not after the joy I saw on his face when he told me about his teacher praising his progress. And definitely not after I saw how broken he was when he walked out our front door for the last time. While I am hurt that someone I admired lost her life because of him, and while I would never condone what he did, I can't hate him. I know too much. I hold too tightly on the memories of who he was before all the drugs and alcohol, the sweet guy who got along with everyone, when his worst offense was cheating on a test in fifth grade. It was an accident… a horrible one, yes… but he didn't mean to hurt anyone but himself. He is sorry for it, and serving his time for it, as he should be."

Téa leaned back, holding on to her knees. "But… hatred is a life-long sentence, and it doesn't change anything. It doesn't undo what he did, and it won't bring his victim back. It won't make my parents see how close they were to _mourning_ their dead son rather than abandoning their suffering one."

Yami was quiet, digesting her story with a somber look to his face. He watched her let go of her knee to wipe her tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Téa. That must've been excruciating to go through."

Téa nodded her head slowly. "It was. I don't know, maybe I'm too soft and I _should_ hate him, but I could never really commit myself to it. He's still my brother, and I still love him and miss him so much, even though his choices…" she trailed off. "To think... he was too young to get his own doctor's prescription, and yet old enough to be tried as an adult in court. It's all backwards. It all just… sucks."

After a moment's hesitation, Yami reached around her back to place his hand on her far shoulder. "I know," he murmured gently as he held her tighter, trying to both emulate Yugi's compassion and return the favor of comfort she had given him.

Téa gratefully leaned her head against his shoulder. "I just wish we lived in a world where the innocent didn't have to pay the price for the suffering of another."

Yami winced. "Me too," he agreed sadly. Staring off into the soft golden sheet of sunlight on the hills, he thought of Yugi, the very picture of innocence, giving up his soul so that Yami could overcome his obstacles and continue the fight.

Before he could say another word, Téa lifted her head to retrieve her jacket and backpack. She straightened and forced a smile. "Some essay answer, huh?" Her lips fell to a more neutral line. "Thanks for listening. I know that was a lot to dump on you."

He shook his head. "I'm grateful that you shared that me, to help me understand your point of view, even though it was hard for you. You're absolutely right. Hatred does not do anyone any good."

"Glad my experiences helped _some_ one," Téa remarked, sniffling. "Now that I'm all weepy and congested, shall we get the day started?"

Yami nodded as they both stood and stretched their backs. "Yes. When we find the train car we'll know that we've doubled back, and we can follow the tracks back from where we came. If Joey and Tristan haven't wandered off, we should see them fairly soon."

Téa snorted. "Well then hopefully they haven't somehow run into a pizza joint or hot dog stand on the way over here. We'll never find them." Her stomach grumbled again at the thought. As she stepped onward, Yami called her back.

"Yes?"

The pharaoh came to her side, catching the reflection of the orange sunrise streak across her soft blue eyes. Strands of brunette hair rode the gentle caress of the morning breeze. Somehow, her evocative story had matured her features.

"I'm glad that you did not give up on dancing."

Téa smiled in gratitude. He would never know just how much that meant to her. "Thanks, Pharaoh."

She faced forward, about to say something, but her face fell before she could. She peered uncomprehendingly into the distance, where the morning haze was beginning to lift.

Yami frowned. "What's wrong? Do you see something?"

"It's what I _don't_ see that's worrying me," she answered, hooding her hand over her squinted eyes. She looked back to him, her face displaying concern. "Where's the train?"

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Yes, there's a Part III on the way! Oh geez, where is _this_ going to go?

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading and reviewing!

And follow me on Tumblr! **username: atemusluckygal-fanfiction**

xo ALG

P.S. Heh. "Té-ana". Did anyone catch that? *toots own horn*


	5. PART III: We Shall Begin Anew

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, or Armani, or the movie I'm _obviously_ referring to.**

 **Talk about a reeeaallll change of pace here. Hope you enjoy.**

(P.S. content warnings & some content in Part I edited for consistency)

* * *

 **Vices**  
PART III: We Shall Begin Anew

Yami couldn't believe his eyes, even with Téa's confirmation. Since waking up in the Village of Sun, the fractured train tracks, though a fair distance away, were always in plain sight. Each piece of twisted metal bent outward like a jagged open-armed embrace. They had been keeping their eye on it as they travelled towards the hills, landmarking it for doubling back. And yet, the rails were smooth, fully functional, and unaffected by the derailing that nearly killed them.

"Is it possible that it was removed?" Yami offered, though his tone indicated he didn't really think so himself.

"It's been less than twenty-four hours," Téa returned, "and we're basically in the middle of nowhere. There's no way a clean-up crew can remove half an entire passenger train in that amount of time, or even find out about it. And that doesn't explain the repaired rails."

"And didn't we fall into grass and trees?" Yami recollected, having no theory to offer about the rails. His memory was hazy, as he was more focused on landing on solid ground in a way that wouldn't kill him, but he could at least recall the itchiness of the dry grass on his scraped skin and the shade of some kind of tree arching over him before he lost consciousness. His eyes followed the river upstream until, finally, the last of the morning fog had dissipated enough to reveal where the water pooled into a small basin at the foot of a tall hill. There, he noticed more vegetation as his eyes refocused.

"This fog must be really thick or something," Téa guessed, rubbing her eyes. "Or I need to get my eyes checked. I could've sworn all I saw was dry desert up ahead."

"An everchanging terrain," Yami murmured to himself, puzzled by the phenomenon himself.

"Hmm?"

Yami dismissively shook his head. "Nothing. Let's keep walking."

As they approached the basin, Téa stared up the hill towering over it. She put her hands on her hips and clicked her tongue affirmatively.

"This is the place, alright," she confirmed, and pointed above her. "See? There's that foothold you tried to grab onto."

"And there are the trees we fell into," Yami regarded the collection of pine trees around them.

Téa blinked. "Whoa! Were those there before?"

The teens looked around them—like a strange dream, their surroundings seemed to have taken shape of what they remembered was there, shifting ominously as they turned.

"And yet, no train car," Téa said with wonder. "I don't understand…"

The pharaoh narrowed his eyes. "Stay close. Something feels off."

Téa nodded and stood closer beside him. Something set off Yami's senses, winding his nerves tight. He sensed another presence near them. His head sharply jerked upward, catching Téa's attention.

"What is it?" she asked at a hushed volume.

He scanned the area, searching for the source, following where his instincts led him. His eyes fell upon a small, oddly-placed shadow leaning from behind a nearby tree. "Who's there?" he called out.

"Sorry! So sorry!" A small auburn-haired girl in a long-sleeved brown dress, no older than nine or ten, emerged from behind the tree, squeaking in apology. "I was sent here to find you! My name is Anthea."

"Who sent you here?" Yami demanded. Téa put a hand on his shoulder to tell him to ease his tone.

"My family. They said you'd get lost here, so I have to bring you back to our home. We have food and shelter for you."

Téa and Yami exchanged glances. "Where are we, exactly?" Téa questioned the girl.

"We call it Shifter's Valley," answered Anthea. "Please, will you come with me?"

Yami looked doubtful, and shook his head. "We can't go with you, we're trying to find our friends. We have somewhere to be."

Anthea suddenly looked frantic. "No, please, come with me!" she insisted, "I have to bring you back with me, or…" she threw a neurotic glance behind her, and turned back to face them with terrified, pleading brown eyes. "Please."

The teens' eyes widened. The dread storming in Yami's heart grew more insistent as he studied the girl's suspicious behavior. He looked to Téa for counsel, who in turn locked eyes with him and nodded her head in silent agreement. He knew she was thinking, and concerned for, the same thing he was. This girl was being watched.

"Alright," he conceded. "Lead the way."

As the three of them entered the woodland in the middle of the desert, Téa looked back a final time, and thought she caught a glimpse of the train car, lying wrecked and severed in half in the basin, before it disappeared again.

* * *

The forest was dense, and had a spiritual, otherworldly quality to it. It reminded Yami of a forest scene in a movie Yugi had recently gotten Serenity for her birthday (upon Joey's recommendation). A couple days before he had mailed it off to her, Yugi invited Yami to watch some of it with him to see what all the hype was about. Yami couldn't remember the name of the movie, but it was about vampires and the acting was terrible.

Anthea wordlessly led them through the twisting labyrinth, seemingly leading to nowhere as it felt like more trees appeared ahead of them as they walked. As per his request, Téa stayed close to the pharaoh, enough so that their shoulders often bumped each other's.

A sound rippled through the calm bristling of leaves—laughter. It was a boy's, bouncy and youthful. Yami gasped and stopped in his tracks.

" _Are you serious? The vampires_ sparkle _in this movie?!"_

"Yugi!" Yami called without thinking. He looked around frantically, searching for his dearest friend. "Yugi, where are you?"

The startled girls stopped and turned to watch him confusedly. "Pharaoh?" Téa asked.

The laughter was gone as quickly as it came. Yami blinked several times, straining his ears to try to catch the sound again. He looked at them. "Didn't you hear it?"

Téa lowered her brow. "Hear what?"

Yami stared incredulously at her. "You didn't hear Yugi?"

Her blue eyes widened. "Yugi?" She shook her head ever so slightly.

The pharaoh flattened his hand over his thumping heart. "I heard him, Téa. His voice was as clear as yours. He was laughing. And he was saying something about vampires."

Téa raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic choice of words. She shook her head once more. "I didn't hear anything, Pharaoh." She touched his arm. "Are you feeling alright?"

Yami looked down at his shoes, and cupped his nose and mouth with both hands, massaging the bridge of his nose with his two index fingers. He couldn't believe it—Yugi was a soul prisoner in Dartz's possession, and yet his laughter was just as present as if they were still sharing a mind and body, one he knew quite well. Yugi would very often show his amusement from inside his head whenever Yami happened to be in control while Téa or another girl (or occasional boy) displayed any sort of flirtatious behavior towards him. It was a bit annoying at the time, not to mention largely unhelpful. But now he would've given anything to restore sentience to that innocent snickering, if it only meant that he could once again listen to Yugi enjoying a good show at his expense… if only he could once again feel purposeful in his role as Yugi's guardian and friend.

"What you heard wasn't real," a young girl's voice brought him back. Anthea was standing close to him, anxiously fiddling with her long hair, her chin tilted up to see his face. "The voices you hear in Shifter's Valley aren't real, they're just part of your memories." She looked sadly at him. "Did you lose someone?"

As Yami opened his mouth to answer, a string of giggles rang out, sounding as if it were muffled by two hands over the mouth. _"Oh come on Pharaoh, don't give me that 'she's not my type' nonsense. You are glowing like a rosebush!"_

"Yes," he answered quietly.

Téa was skeptical. "Wait, how did you—"

"Shifter's Valley is a mystical place," Anthea interrupted, "where you can see and hear your memories."

Yami swallowed a lump in his throat. Hearing Yugi's voice so palpably rattled him, hard. "Can we leave this place?"

Anthea nodded understandingly. "We're almost there."

"Almost where?" Téa inquired.

The girl smiled wearily. "The safe place," she replied.

"The safe place?" Yami echoed, but Anthea had already moved ahead, clearly without the intention to clarify. He and Téa followed her, watching her closely. Finally, they came upon what looked like a sanctuary. It was styled simply but tastefully, with a gable roof, tall white cement walls, and standing atop shallow cement steps. The front double doors had a pristine cherry finish and a long golden door handle on each door.

"Wait here," Anthea instructed them as they reached the foot of the steps, and turned to climb them unaccompanied. With some effort, she pulled the heavy door open and went inside, closing it behind her and leaving Yami and Téa alone at the bottom.

Minutes went by without Anthea's return, and Yami's eyes lost some focus as he stared at the doors she had disappeared into. Téa turned to him, looking sympathetically upon the distraught expression on his face.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," she gently offered.

Yami nodded, but said nothing. His hand lied upon the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, stroking it absent-mindedly with a frown fixed on his lips. After a few moments, Téa's eyes fell to the golden artifact, and a twinge of nervousness came to her. "You know, since we don't know who we're about to meet, you might want to hide that," she suggested, pointing to it.

Yami's hand tightened protectively around the chain above the inverted pyramid until his knuckles whitened. His jaw clenched in firm denial. "No."

Téa pressed her lips together, but relaxed them as she understood his rejection. Nevertheless, she insisted, "I know it won't feel comfortable, but we can put it in my backpack for now. Once we know what we're dealing with, you can have it back." She removed one strap from her shoulder, letting the backpack hang on her other, and reached around to unzip the main pocket. She pulled the outer flap open a little wider and glared at him expectantly.

Voices, muffled by the thick walls containing them, murmured from inside the sanctuary. It sounded like a young girl's, likely Anthea's, conversing with an older woman's. The voices rose in volume and clarity as they drew nearer. Conceding with a bitter growl, Yami relinquished his Puzzle to Téa's backpack, which she managed to conceal in time just as the doors opened.

Anthea emerged from the double doors, hand in hand with a tall, slender, stately woman in her early sixties. She donned a burgundy dress with bell sleeves, a long flowing skirt, and a neckline up to her upper chest. Her grey hair was drawn back into a tight bun sitting high on her head. She approached the teens with a wide, rosy red smile.

"Welcome!" she greeted them as she descended the steps, with little Anthea trotting beside her. The woman's voice was smooth and warm, similar to Myrtle's, but firmer in tone and slightly higher in pitch.

Téa nervously held up a hand. "Hello. Anthea told us she was supposed to bring us here."

The woman smiled down approvingly at the girl beside her. "Yes, and you've done such a good job, haven't you little Anthea?"

Anthea put on a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. Yami noted the girl's insincere reaction, he himself finding the woman's praise and tone to be oddly infantilizing for a girl of Anthea's apparent age and maturity.

"My goodness," said the woman with discontent. Yami flinched as she reached towards him. She ran her long, slender fingers over a tear in his jacket near his shoulder. "It looks like you two have been through many trials. It is by the grace of our generous God that you've found us." She dropped her hand and peered over her shoulder. "Anthea, dear, if you would kindly show this young man and his lady to the dormitory? And fetch them some towels, so they may use the showers?"

Anthea nodded, again with disingenuous enthusiasm. The woman clapped her hands together gleefully. "Splendid! Anthea will see to it that you are accommodated. By the way, my name is Gale, if you need anything just send for me!" Before either Yami or Téa could blink, Gale had turned and hurried up the steps with her skirt lifted in one hand, and snapping her fingers at Anthea with the other.

Gale disappeared back behind the doors, and Anthea's smile immediately fell. "Follow me," she said emotionlessly, and led them around the side of the building to a large courtyard. A large lawn of dewy grass glowed a bright emerald green under the morning sun, with citrus trees and small gardens of wildflowers and vegetable plants lining a cobblestone walkway. They passed by a fountain spewing sparkling water from its mouth. It caught Yami's attention, causing him to pause in his step. He studied it, biting his lip in thought.

Noticing he was no longer beside her, Téa stopped ahead of him and looked back. "Pharaoh?"

Yami's senses were churning again as he stared. Nevertheless, he shook his head and resumed walking again. "Sorry," he responded dismissively.

The fountain was sculpted to resemble a long, thick serpent, coiled around a sub-rounded rock that appeared uncannily similar in shape to the green stone he once wore around his neck.

* * *

The dorm facility was large, holding at least thirty rooms on each of its four floors, plus a shower room, restroom, and laundry chute. All the doors were closed, save for one on the bottom floor that they could see, marked "03". Yami and Téa started to head in when Anthea, holding two white bath towels with both arms, stood in Téa's path to stop her from entering.

"This is his room, yours is upstairs."

Téa lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Thanks, but I think we'd rather stick together, ya know?"

Yami reentered the hallway to stand beside her in agreement. "It's nothing personal, we are very grateful for your hospitality. It's just for our ease of mind."

Anthea fervently shook her head. "They wouldn't want that."

Yami blinked in confusion. "Why not?"

The girl blushingly averted her gaze. "The Great One does not allow for a man and woman to share a bed unless they are married."

Yami and Téa looked at each other in surprise. "The Great One?" they asked in unison.

Anthea nodded her head. "The Great One is our God and Savior, the True Arbiter of Justice, sent to Earth to eradicate the sinners of the world," she recited from memory. She bowed her head over the towels in a brief prayer. "We shall begin anew."

"What are you talking about?" asked Yami.

For a moment, Anthea stood still with tensed shoulders, as if she were being reprimanded. She turned to look behind her in the same paranoid fashion as in the valley upon their first meeting. When she deemed the coast clear, she then ushered the two in the room and closed the door, locking it behind her. She set the towels on the bed, which was pinned to the far wall with a nightstand and lamp on its left side.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yami demanded.

Anthea shushed him harshly with a finger against her lips. Yami started back at her sudden shift in demeanor, but kept his mouth shut.

"Where is the necklace you were wearing?" Anthea whispered to him, "the golden one."

Yami side-glanced at Téa, who made no action to remove her backpack, or even acknowledge it. She only remained standing with her arms folded.

"Why?" he asked her in turn.

"Is it from Egypt?" Anthea questioned.

Yami stuttered in shock. _How does she know?_

"It's somewhere else," Téa replied accusingly, but at a lowered volume. "And not available for anyone's use but its rightful owner."

Anthea held up her hands in defense. "No, you have it wrong! I do not want it for myself. I was just going to tell you to keep it hidden." She turned to Yami and stared up into his eyes, causing him to lean back a bit. "I know you're the Chosen Duelist, Nameless Pharaoh."

The room fell completely silent, apart from a door opening and closing somewhere down the hall. Anthea bit her lip, burdened by the knowledge she had to bear. "Just don't let them know who you are. Don't let them see your Egyptian necklace, or your dragon card." Yami gasped quietly, clasping his hand protectively over his card holster. "And don't go by 'Pharaoh', use a different name," she added warningly.

"We won't be staying long," Yami told her, "we have friends who are looking for us. We'll be off as soon as we are able."

Anthea flinched, and her lip trembled. "Please don't leave. They will not like that."

"Who's 'they'?" asked Téa.

"Everyone, but especially the Great One. Our Savior is very strict."

"Wait," Téa interjected. She bent her knees to stare at the girl at eye level. "Anthea… what will happen if we leave?"

"You're free to go if you want, but…" she looked away, fidgeting nervously, "it's hard to leave this place. And the Great One is always watching, always judging."

"What do you mean?" Yami pressed.

Anthea opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of conversation echoing down the hall caused her to shut it in fear of being overheard. She shook her head, grabbed a towel from the bed, and took Téa's elbow in her other hand. "Let me show you to your room, and then I can get you some clothes to wear." Still processing the information, Téa just nodded. After checking the hallway, Anthea led her out and turned to speak to Yami at a normal volume, "Breakfast is at eight o'clock sharp in the dining hall, the building next door on the right. I'll be back in a few minutes with some fresh garments." She held her hands in prayer. "We shall begin anew."

Sitting on the bed, Yami acknowledged her with a single nod. He caught an anxious glance from Téa just as she was rushed away and the door closed behind her.

* * *

As worried as he was, the blessing of a hot shower was not lost on Yami, who felt a great deal more refreshed as he stepped out of the shower room with the damp towel draped at his waist. His skin and hair were scrubbed cleaned and smelled like the provided lavender soap, a huge improvement from whatever collection of multiple odors he had accrued in the past few days. Most of his bruises had faded, his cuts and scrapes scabbed over without infection, and his head was only sore in passing moments rather than a constant, bothersome ache.

The pharaoh returned to his room to find clothes laid out on his bed—a silver dress shirt, black slacks, and a matching blazer with an unusually bright green pocket square tucked in the chest pocket. Folded neatly on top was a pair of boxer briefs in a charcoal grey. At the foot of the bed was a pair of black Oxford dress shoes, freshly shined, with a pair of cotton socks tucked in the left shoe's mouth. Yami also noticed that his dirty clothes, which he had thrown in a hamper in his room, were gone. Assuming Anthea or someone had taken them to the chute, he hoped that they were only being washed rather than thrown out, as his jacket and shirt had a few holes and tears in them. He made a mental note to ask about it later.

Glancing at the clock, he put on the clothes left for him and looked in the mirror. Almost everything fit reasonably well if not on the looser side, except for the shoes—they were about a size and a half too big. While the style wasn't too far outside what he'd personally pick for formal wear, he couldn't help but wonder about the peculiar choice of pocket square. He at least knew enough about fashion to know not to accent a neutral color scheme with a green bright enough to make someone think you had a radioactive pocket.

As he smoothed his jacket over with his hands, he felt something else there—a lump in his chest pocket. He pulled it out with his fingers, careful not to mess up the pocket square. He opened his hand, and dropped his findings to the carpeted floor with a horrified gasp.

* * *

At a quarter to eight, the hallway was ringing with an amalgam of noises—doors opening and closing, dress shoes clacking on the tile floor, and 'good mornings' with some idle chatter to follow. All the sounds melded together indistinctly as the pharaoh gaped disbelievingly at the floor—rather, what he'd _dropped_ on the floor. In his chest pocket, Anthea had inserted two small cufflinks, each with the shape and design of the Orichalcos emblem.

He picked them up and turned them over, studying them closely, looking for any sign of his eyes deceiving him, or a trick of the light. No matter from which angle he looked, the six-pointed star, framed by a circular ring, stared tauntingly back at him as if to say 'you thought you could get rid of me, did you?'.

"Why…" he seethed angrily, "…why are you here?"

The metal charms remained silent, rolling on their rounded edges along his palm. Yami clenched them in his fist and squeezed his eyes shut, berating himself for talking to inanimate objects like a lunatic. Being away from Téa and the Millennium Puzzle for this long kept him extremely on edge. He knew Téa felt it too; something was very, _very_ wrong here, and his new discovery more than confirmed it. Wherever they were, no matter how welcoming it first appeared, was not to be trusted. He tucked the cufflinks back in the pocket and left the room, anxious to confirm with his own eyes that Téa was alright.

When Anthea said "next door", she meant across another lawn with gardens of flowers and herbs, past another fountain, a variation of the previous serpent's pose: still coiled but without the stone—instead, its head was inclined downward, into its own coil, shooting a high-pressure stream of water from its mouth into the pool below it, creating a large and noisy splash at the bottom of the spiraled vortex.

"Such a majestic creature," commented a man beside Yami, as he paused to join him in observing the small statue. He was a tall, young adult, somewhere between twenty-two and twenty-five years old with a shaved face, neatly combed brown hair, and vibrant green eyes to match the pocket square in his white-pinstriped black jacket. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

Yami nodded dumbly, not knowing what else to do. If this were a normal day in Yugi's life, and if the man soliciting a conversation from Yami were a cute girl, Yugi would be laughing at or goading him right about now.

The man put on a friendly smile and extended a hand. "Carter."

 _Just don't let them know who you are. Don't let them see your Egyptian necklace, or your dragon card._

"Yugi," Yami returned, shaking Carter's hand.

"Well, Yugi, I'm glad to meet you, and welcome! You will fall in love with this place. We are very excited for what is up ahead."

Carter lowered his brow as Yami released his hand. He ducked his head slightly, and peered into Yami's sleeve. "Oh, you're not wearing your cufflinks."

Yami stared blankly at his upturned wrist, as if he were learning of this for the first time. Beneath the sleeves were unfastened shirt cuffs, which he had hoped would be sufficiently hidden by the slightly-too-long sleeves of his jacket. "Was I supposed to put them on?"

Carter blinked. "But of course," he assured, "Proper gentlemen cannot show up to breakfast with open sleeves, now can they?"

The pharaoh smiled amicably, though internally he found Carter's company to be slightly unnerving for some reason. Perhaps it was because he normally left the socializing with the extroverts to Yugi—mostly just socializing in general—or maybe Carter's affable demeanor didn't feel completely genuine.

"I suppose not," Yami responded plainly. "But my sleeves feel more comfortable when they're open," he lied. "I would rather just keep them that way and hide them under my sleeves if I can get away with it."

Carter's expression changed. His eyes opened a bit wider, and his smile grew but started to look more forced. It was, in Yami's opinion, very concerning, and a bit creepy.

"You really should put them on, they are strict about that. That emblem is a symbol of our allegiance to the Great One and his cause. The last thing you want is for Gale to think you are rebelling or something." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Not like you would be doing such a thing! I mean why would you, when He does so much for us?" He clasped his hands together in a somewhat festive manner. "We shall begin anew!"

From a fair distance, a church bell clanged out eight notes. Each bell tone, deep and robust, sounded more portentous than the last, sending a shiver down Yami's spine.

"That's the warning bell," Carter told him. "Better get inside, we don't want to be late."

Yami followed Carter into the hall, where a line of five or six had formed at the buffet table. Smells of cooked red meat, roasted coffee beans, and fresh baked bread filled the large cafeteria. Yami's stomach growled loudly, and he placed a hand over it in a futile attempt to quiet it down. Carter, standing behind him in line, laughed. "Wow, a bit hungry there, eh?"

Remembering Carter's comment about the cufflinks, Yami pulled them back out of his chest pocket and started to fasten them on his sleeves, if only to avoid eye contact with him. "Famished," he replied, swallowing the excess saliva collecting in his mouth. It was true; it had been a couple days since he and Téa had anything to eat, and the food _did_ smell delicious.

Yami gasped quietly, irritated that he had let Carter's presence distract him from keeping an eye out for Téa. It had been at least an hour since she was escorted away from him by Anthea, and he hadn't seen or heard from her since. He searched the room, a hall of a hundred or so well-dressed people, and sighed in relief when he saw her sitting alone at the empty table in the far corner. She had a glass of water, a cup of coffee, and plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and toast in front of her, all untouched, as was everyone else's in the room. She was dressed in a white chiffon blouse with a bow collar that began at the base of her neck, with loose long sleeves that cinched at her wrists. Wrapped on her waist was a pleated navy skirt that reached over her knees. Her hair was still slightly damp and combed out of her face.

With a plate stacked generously and a filled plastic glass of water, Yami quickly headed over to Téa's table. She perked up when she spotted him, and motioned for him to come sit in the seat beside her. Up close, he noticed how tense her shoulders were.

"Hey," Téa greeted him.

Yami offered her a small grin in return as he sat next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, totally fine," she answered. Like Carter, her voice had a bit too much pep in her tone. "What about you?"

Yami nodded his head. He'd played enough games to recognize a façade. "Good. I feel a lot better after a hot shower."

She chuckled, and her natural sunny demeanor poked through momentarily. "Tell me about it. I'll never take them for granted ever again."

"Neither will I," he agreed with a light laugh. "You look very nice, by the way."

Téa smiled, her cheeks and nose reddening at the tips. "Thanks." She eyed his suit ensemble with a smirk. "You clean up nice, too. You look like you could model for Armani or something."

"Hey Yugi!" Carter called to him from the end of the breakfast line with a wave of his hand. "Mind if I join ya?"

"Not at all," Yami consented, against his more honest wishes.

"Made a new friend?" Téa asked, still out of Carter's earshot.

"Not intentionally," he admitted with some humor.

Téa watched Carter as he drew nearer, and leaned in closer to Yami. "I don't like this place," she whispered conspiratorially in his ear.

Before he could respond, she straightened up just as Carter took a seat on her other side.

"Anyone sitting here?" he asked the pair. Both shook their heads, and Carter set his food down.

"My name's Carter," he introduced himself, extending a hand to Téa.

"Téa," she returned, shaking it, and blushed as Carter turned her hand over to place a kiss upon it.

"A lovely name for a lovely lady," he complimented.

Téa humored him with a smile and withdrew her hand. She cleared her throat and motioned to Yami. "You've already met Yugi, I assume."

"Sure have!" he confirmed. "You wearing your cufflinks, Yugi?"

Yami pulled back his sleeve to show him. "Yes, I put them on while we were in line."

His eye twitched. "Oh, cutting it a bit close there, buddy. Be more careful next time."

Puzzled by the conversation, Téa turned her head towards Yami so that Carter couldn't see, and mouthed a 'what?' at him. He discreetly waved his hand to indicate that it was nothing of concern.

"So, where did Anthea snatch you two from?" asked Carter.

Yami blinked. "Uh… we accidentally wandered into Shifter's Valley, and she found us and brought us here."

"Oh! Shifter's Valley, eh? How did you end up there?"

"Our train derailed," explained Téa, "and we were trying to get back to our friends who are still somewhere up the hill. I guess we got a little lost."

"Oh!" Carter exclaimed in wonder. "A train derail? How horrible!"

"Yeah," she said, "it could've been a lot worse. We were about to climb the hill, when…" she trailed off in thought. "I guess… maybe there _was_ no hill. We had no idea we were in Shifter's Valley until after it started… well… _shifting_ already."

"Well then, it's a good thing Anthea found you!" Carter chirped. "Our God sure is good, isn't he? This is definitely the best place to be at a time like this. You do _not_ want to be outside right now."

"Outside, as in…?" Téa questioned.

"Oh, like, everywhere. All over the world. Haven't you guys noticed? The Reaping has begun."

"The reaping…" she echoed thoughtfully. The word was impossible to forget after Dakotah had fanatically shouted it in her ear, when he had her by the throat in the middle of an Orichalcos soul-stealing rampage.

"Some of us like the word 'collecting' better," added Carter, "especially the ones with young kids. A few can't handle the idea yet."

"But it's essentially the same thing," Téa sought to clarify, "taking people's souls, and using them…?"

"Yes, the acquisition teams are hard at work. The Great One will be upon us shortly. It's all very exciting."

"Pardon my ignorance, but when you say the 'Great One'," Yami began carefully, "to whom are you referring?"

Carter laughed. "Oh wow, you guys must be _really_ new! The 'Great One' in question is a divine serpent god, sent here to finally purge the world of the wicked and sinful. We are a church dedicated to serving the Great One, so that He may deem us worthy of building a new, peaceful world, and spreading His gospel of holiness and purity to the New World."

Yami lowered his brow and looked to Téa, who appeared just as skeptical as he. Carter, noticing their unsure reactions, laughed again. "I know it might sound pretty crazy at first, but when you go to a holy service tomorrow, it'll all make sense."

"I don't think we can stay that long," Téa objected with feigned disappointment. "Our friends are still looking for us and my phone battery has been dead for over a day. They're probably super worried."

Carter's face fell to concern. "Oh, trust me, you'll probably be here for a while. Hopefully your friends will find this place, too! Gale has created a sanctum here for the Great One's chosen disciples to take refuge during the Holy Cleansing."

"Refuge?" echoed Yami.

"Well… 'safe place', for the kids." Carter was about to say something else, when Gale called for the attention of the room. The chatter in the dining hall diminished over time, and Gale greeted the room from her middle-set table with a warm smile.

"Good morning, brothers and sisters! I hope you are all enjoying your day so far, and goodness gracious does this food not smell in _credible_?" Barks of cheer, laughter and agreement popped up sporadically around the room. "I know we are eager to eat, but before we say grace, I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of our family!"

"Ah, great," Téa muttered under her breath. "I think she means us."

Gale motioned to her and Yami to stand. "Please, introduce yourselves!"

Téa reached up to brush the hair out of her eyes. "My name's Téa," she said.

"Yugi," Yami added, holding up a hand. "We both are very thankful for your generosity."

"Yes," Gale broke in, "our Great God is good! Where are you from?"

"Domino County," answered Téa.

"That is such a long way from here!" said Gale. "Well, on behalf of our church, I welcome you to our home. If you would please take your seats, we are about to say grace."

Yami and Téa looked at each other confusedly, and sat back down in their chairs. They, and Carter, joined hands and bowed their heads as Gale led them in prayer.

"Our beloved God and Savior, bless this food and shelter and company, for we are thankful to eat while others are hungry, and to sleep while others are restless. We offer our gratitude for the safe passage of our newcomers to us, a young man and woman who are about to embrace Your holiness for the first time in our church. May You continue to bless them with Your love and generosity as they come to understand Your cause. Give us strength and patience, Great One, to teach them of our traditions and faith in Your honor. May we as Your children come together to celebrate the events yet to come. In the name of our holy God Leviathan, we shall begin anew!"

"We shall begin anew!" echoed the room in tandem, and everyone broke into chatter as they began to feast.

Yami's eyes popped open. He and Téa turned to each other at the same time, exchanging troubled looks. If they had needed any other sign to indicate what kind of place they stumbled into, that was it.

* * *

Yami and Téa could stand it no longer; they were virtually drooling over their plates as the word 'Leviathan' crossed their ears. Yami had to consciously stop himself from eating _too_ quickly, as each bite of food practically melted in his mouth as he scarfed it down. He wasn't used to being in control for this long, so he rarely ate physically—that was Yugi's responsibility—though he often vicariously indulged in the warm, pleasant sensations of flavor and nourishment flooding their shared mind whenever Yugi was consuming an especially tasty meal.

An elderly, white-haired man approached them, and sat beside Yami at their table. "Hello," he addressed them with a weary voice, grated and weighed down by age. "Yugi and Téa, is it? My name is Pastor Robert. I usually lead the Sunday holy services." He reached out a hand to shake, which Yami took as he swallowed the last of the toast in his mouth.

"Hi, Pastor Robert," Téa greeted him in kind, shaking his hand as well. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Pastor Robert turned to Yami. "Yugi, I wanted to ask, what do you do for a living?"

Yami hesitated. "I'm… a duelist. But Téa and I are still in high school."

The old man nodded. "Ah, still in high school? You've got quite a voice on you, young man. I would've thought you were an announcer or a church leader!"

Yami blinked, feeling self-conscious. "Thank you…?"

"I know my voice has been fading lately, but when I was your age I used to be the most dynamic church leader around!" He proudly waved his bony fist in the air. "I used to rouse crowds twice this big, endowed by the strength and grace of our Great God!"

He put a hand on Yami's shoulder. "You have a powerful gift, young man. I want you to read the sermon at our holy service tomorrow morning in my place, as a guest speaker."

"Hey!" Carter cheered. "How cool, what an honor! You should do it, Yugi!"

Yami stuttered in surprise, his shoulders curling inward in discomfort. "I-I don't know if that's—"

"Please, Yugi," implored Pastor Robert. "Don't waste your talent. Your voice is exactly what tomorrow's powerful message needs."

Feeling cornered, Yami looked to Téa, who subtly nodded in his direction before averting her gaze to her food instead. "Sure," he reluctantly consented.

The wrinkled hand on his shoulder squeezed approvingly. "That's the spirit! We shall begin anew!"

* * *

Yami's palms were clammy as he stepped up to the podium, feeling Pastor Robert's eyes following his every move with something between intrigue and scrutiny. He looked out into the congregation: men, women, and teenagers in their Sunday best, watching him with faint curiosity and wonder. He could hear distant whispering from somewhere in the back rows, which he guessed were mostly about his hair. Téa, dressed in a light pink blouse and a long floral-patterned white skirt, was near the front on his left, on the second pew and closest to the aisle. Carter was sitting awfully close to her right. Gale and Anthea were in the frontmost pew on his right, both identically sitting up straight with their hands formally folded in their laps. Anthea stared stonily at the podium. Her smile, unlike Gale's readily eager grin, was plastered on, and her eyes spelled out her desire to be anywhere but where she was.

A hard copy of a transcription was laid out for Yami, lying at the base of the microphone stand. The title read:

 **Guest Sermon Transcription (copy)**

 **ATONEMENT: The Story of a Broken King**

Panic gripped his heart, but the pharaoh suppressed it behind his famous stoic facade. He cleared his throat and began reading, keeping his mouth a few inches from the microphone.

"Brothers and sisters, we are gathered today on this holy Sunday service to learn more of the world we have been blessed with by The Great One. As we explore the wonders of His creation, we shall learn of the darkness of which sin of man has introduced. We shall, in turn, learn more of ourselves, as people, as citizens of the world, as His children. Man was not born without sin; rather, man was born with a natural affiliation with darkness as well as light. Each of His children shall devote themselves to Him, to not only love Him and nurture their personal relationship with Him, but cleanse themselves of their inner darkness so that they may live in the New World with light, and spread His gospel with a pure and noble heart.

We, as our God's children, are imperfect and capable of human error, and our faith in The Great One shall guide us down a path of redemption, so that we may confess our sins to His holiness, and pray for His mercy and forgiveness, for the rebalancing of our souls. This, brothers and sisters, is what we call 'atonement'.

Some crimes against the Great One, however, are so heinous and wicked that they are irredeemable in His eyes. When a sinner's heart succumbs to its own inner darkness, often there is no path for redemption, and his mortal soul becomes the asking price for his sins. This is the final way a sinner can repent—he can offer up his very life force to Him, so that He may use it in the Holy Cleansing yet to come.

One man, one dark-hearted sinner, is the only man in recorded history to have escaped atonement, and continues to elude it to this day. This man, and his reconciliation with the Great One, is the only thing standing between us and eternal salvation."

Yami paused, feeling a jolt in his heart. Each word felt like acid on his tongue. "The Nameless Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yami could see Téa placing her hand over her mouth in shock as she stared wide-eyed at him, horrified, and through her gaze Yami could feel her helplessness as well as his.

The silence was too long, so he had to continue. "The Nameless Pharaoh, like each and every one of us, was born with a perfect balance of light and dark. The Great One created him strong, intelligent, courageous, and capable. The Nameless Pharaoh inherited the throne at sixteen years of age, along with his father's golden Millennium pyramid that granted him powers to control and use the Shadow Realm at his will.

It is important to remember that the Shadow Realm is a dimension from which all human darkness derives. Between the vast Shadow powers of his mystical golden pyramid, his royal court of highly trained priests and sorcerers, and an entire nation bowing at his feet, the Nameless Pharaoh carried immense power on his shoulders, a true test of righteousness by the Great One.

The Nameless Pharaoh was ambitious, but arrogant. He wanted more, his intentions becoming self-serving, and his gluttony began to overtake him. He worshiped false idols, the fabled three Gods of Egypt, and rejected the Great One's love as his hunger for power grew into insatiable desire. He commanded his 'gods', Obelisk the Beast of Earth, Slifer the Dragon of Skies, and Ra the Immortal God Phoenix, as his own vehicles for destruction. He became a ruthless dictator, using his power to tyrannize his kingdom, the very kingdom the Great One had given to him to love and protect. When his people revolted..."

Yami braced his hands on either side of the podium, feeling dizzy. The words on the page began to blur and sway. He felt sweat collect at the back of his neck, along with every single pair of eyes in the room on him.

"When his people revolted... the Nameless Pharaoh brought destruction upon his kingdom. His false gods, with the aid of his shadow powers, descended upon his people and reduced his nation to ashes and rubble in a single night."

Yami felt his voice start to shake. He flattened his hand over his thumping heart and cleared his throat again, fighting the urge to heave. "Thousands of innocent lives—men, women, children—perished that night. The only survivors, besides the Nameless Pharaoh, were his high priest Seto, and a common stable boy Jono, both from whom he'd retained their loyalty. When faced with the wrath of the Great One, the Nameless Pharaoh was so ashamed of his disgraceful actions that his mortal soul fled his body and into the vessel of his golden pyramid, after ordering Priest Seto shatter it, and Jono deliver the pieces to his tomb. Within the broken pyramid, the soul of the Nameless Pharaoh was trapped indefinitely, and he destroyed his own memories, including his own name, so that he did not have to spend another moment of his eternal confinement bearing the burden of his sins."

"But the Great One is an omnipotent and omniscient God, and no soul can fully escape atonement. It was by His guidance of destiny that the Nameless Pharaoh was revived in this modern world, reborn by the hands of a common citizen whose grandfather, an archeologist, had uncovered the shattered pyramid on an excavation. The soul of the Nameless Pharaoh has pilfered the body of this young boy and still dwells among us with an evil and corrupted heart. As he exists on this planet Earth today, he poses a threat to humanity unless he offers his powerful soul to his true God as a sacrifice." He clenched his fists. "We, as children of the Serpent God Leviathan, have been assigned a vitally important task—we shall dutifully lend our efforts to finding where his soul hides, and bring him to redemption, so that he may pay for his terrible crimes against mankind, against our God and His children.

Brothers and sisters, our steadfast faith will soon be rewarded at last! Together, the unity of His children is a tremendous force of light, promise, and potential. Together, with the almighty power of the Great God Leviathan, we can rebuild this world into something new, harmonious, and beautiful. Together, we can finally be a part of a creation truly in His image, as He truly intended."

One single line remained at the bottom: "We shall begin anew."

The congregation echoed back to him in unison. "We shall begin anew."

* * *

Pastor Robert finished the service in Yami's place by leading a hymn and prayer, and the congregation was dismissed shortly after. Walking beside Téa on the walkway to the dorm, Yami couldn't stop thinking about what he had just been coerced into reading to a room full of strangers, an audience of devoted followers of the Leviathan. The parable of his reign, demise, and supposed purpose as a reborn spirit—everything he feared about his past persona was represented in the sermon in some way, and he felt sick to his stomach. Even more disturbing was that he had to denounce himself while posing as _Yugi_ , the idea of it more nauseating the more he thought of it. He was used to being 'Yugi' when it came to Duel Monsters, but not like _that_.

A young blonde woman shyly approached Yami, standing at about his height and looking about his age. "Hi, Yugi? I just wanted to thank you for delivering the sermon today. You were really inspiring. I could hear the conviction of our God Leviathan through your voice."

Yami nodded, trying to ignore the twist in his gut. "Of course."

She extended her hand. "My name is Kelley."

He shook it. "Nice to meet you."

Téa stepped up beside him and reached out to shake Kelley's hand as well. "I'm Téa, Yugi's friend," she introduced herself, with a tone a bit too stiff for the soft quality of her smile.

"Kelley," the girl reiterated, seemingly disinterested. Sheepishly tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, she turned her attention back to Yami.

"Well anyway, it's great to finally meet you. Hope to see you around?"

Yami put on a polite smile. "Sure."

Kelley bowed her head. "We shall begin anew." She waved blushingly at as she turned to leave, the skirt of her periwinkle dress floating behind her. Téa stared after her, her smile fading into a sincerer frown.

"That was messed up," Téa remarked bitterly.

Yami furrowed his brow. "I'm sure she didn't mean any harm."

She blinked. "Oh, Kelley? No, she's just another flirt you have to deal with." She cleared her throat. "I'm talking about the service."

He scowled. "I know." He instinctively reached for the Millennium Puzzle, remembering that it wasn't there. "These people are deeply, hopelessly brainwashed." He clenched his fists. "Dartz must be behind this… that sick bastard. They're worshipping the Leviathan for crying out loud!"

Téa swatted his shoulder punishingly. "Shush! They'll hear you!"

"And why should I care?" he retorted. "What's the worst that could happen?"

She growled in frustration. "Are you that dense? Do you not understand what Anthea was trying to tell us?"

"Yes, that I am not to let them know who I really am." He relaxed his hands, and took a breath to calm down. "Sorry. You're right, I should be more careful."

Téa leaned in closer, her voice at a harsh whisper. "We have to _blend in_ , Yami. We can't call any attention to ourselves. Or they'll catch on, and we'll be in real trouble. Just remember that these people think you are the key to their insane utopian paradise, and not in the heroic way, either. This isn't the Village of Sun. Control your anger and don't blow your cover, or it's game over."

Yami swallowed. He looked her in the eye. "Téa… we _have_ to get away from this place."

Téa paused, averting her gaze to the side. "That's going to be a lot harder than you think."

At his puzzled expression, she gave him a warning look. "Not here. Come to my room at midnight tonight. It's room 36 on the third floor. Don't knock, just sneak in quietly."

"We're not staying another night," Yami protested.

"Yes, we are. Look, I know you're in a hurry to save Yugi, but... trust me."

From a fair distance, Gale's chatter could be heard, and the sound of her voice was drawing nearer. Téa checked over her shoulder, and whispered in Yami's ear a last time.

"And whatever you do, do _not_ get caught."

Gale had caught up to them a few moments later, and greeted each of them in turn. "Yugi, that was a marvelous reading of the sermon this morning! Thank you so much for lending your voice to our God's noble cause."

"You're welcome," Yami responded evenly.

"And listen, I noticed that you were struggling a bit up there."

Yami's spine stiffened. "O-oh, I—"

"It's alright," Gale interrupted him, touching his shoulder. "I understand, the tragic story of the Nameless Pharaoh is not the kindest on the ears. His actions were disgraceful, one of the worst examples of blasphemy and corruption in human history." Her hand retreated. "But you were very brave, and I can tell you felt passionately about it. Rest assured, we are a dedicated group, and the Great One will bring him to justice."

"Good," he said simply, electing to hold his tongue despite the anger rising within him.

"We were just admiring your landscaping," Téa chimed in, ready to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Gale grinned proudly. "Thank you, dear. We work very hard to show His splendor in every way we can." She took a few steps backwards. "Just think… soon the whole world will look like this." She waved her hand to indicate the whole courtyard, alight under the late morning sun and underscored by a chirpy conversation between two nearby warblers. "No wars, no genocide, no evil. Instead, the whole planet will be a garden where food can grow and children can play. And every new temple we build from the rubble will be used to worship and celebrate the Great One's glory together, as a united world. It will be a truly wonderful place to live."

Gale grasped each of them by the hand, forming a small semi-circle on the walkway. Her smile grew wider, and she spoke with sincere devotion as she squeezed both of their hands. "We shall begin anew."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Yiiiiiikes.

Stay tuned for the next interlude and Part IV. Don't forget to read and review!

Follow me on Tumblr! **username: atemusluckygal-fanfiction**

xo ALG


	6. INTERLUDE III

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!. Any references to pop culture are credited to their name.**

 **Please review content warnings as listed in Part I before reading this chapter.**

(P.S. I made a tumblr! Even though I have no idea how to use it, lol. My username is **atemusluckygal-fanfiction.**

Apparently I had made one a long time ago just called Atemusluckygal, but that one is no longer active. I can't delete it, I don't remember the email I used.

I get a few private messages asking me things about my stories and the show in general, and someone suggested that I make a tumblr so people can contact me via something called "asks". Also, if anyone wants to challenge me with a writing prompt, that might be fun too. Basically try me with anything, I'll eventually get the hang of it. Tips are welcome and appreciated.)

 **ON WITH THE CHAPTER:**

[Format Reading Guide:

Accounts of the past in normal text: reminiscing in present time  
 _Accounts of the past in italics_ : flashback  
 _Dialogue in italics_ : Yami's own voice as he hears it recreated in Shifter's Valley  
 _"Dialogue in italics in quotation marks"_ : other characters' voices as Yami hears them recreated in Shifter's Valley]

 **A/N:** Sorry if that got confusing. Shifter's Valley, as you recall, is a place where memories are recreated as an illusion, whether it be a hallucination or a voice, only perceived by person having those memories. As the characters reminisce, they are constantly hearing or seeing things from their past without any control over it. I want this chapter to feel like flowing streams of consciousness, and the random timing of each fabrication to reflect that, without explicitly saying so. Then, formatting got complicated… and here we are.

This is what you might call a "flashback episode"—I reinterpreted a lot of canon material to fit the narrative of this story. The plot isn't necessarily in motion here, but there is some self-reflection by our main characters, some exposition on the Church Leviathan, as well as some important clues and interesting twists.

Oh, and angst. Because you're reading Vices.

If you're lost and came here by mistake, please tell an usher and they will escort you to a happier story.

Without further ado, the third interlude.

* * *

 **Vices**  
INTERLUDE III

 _[Sunday Morning, 1:06am]  
[6hr 54min before Sunday Holy Service]_

Sitting at the base of a large tree, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and cotton grey pajama pants and slippers, Yami leaned his back against the trunk with a weary sigh. His hands lied in his lap, and his eyes stared into nothing, listening passively to the crickets and the leaves bristling in the night breeze.

He couldn't sleep, no matter how much he tried. Like food, he didn't normally partake in the physical realm, as he was far too used to being a spirit without the physiological needs. He was only able to sleep the previous night, in the desert, because his body was quite ready to shut itself down regardless.

But here, fed and bathed, given a real bed to sleep in… but without Téa or the Millennium Puzzle near him, the pharaoh was as restless as ever. There was too much to think about, too many things to analyze. Everything around him felt wrong, out of place. But all he had was speculation, and Anthea's cryptic clues. He sensed the apprehension beneath every façade of good nature he encountered, like a cheerful masquerade masking terrible secrets and scandals. Even stranger, he had just been persuaded into delivering a sermon for a church service he'd never attended before—something he'd never agree to, normally—just by the joy and purpose it promised to bring total strangers. He was tired of his actions causing misery for others. For once in far too long, he wanted to do something to make someone _happy_.

Even in their brief meeting, Pastor Robert reminded Yami very much of Yugi's relationship with his grandfather. Not that he was trying to draw a moral equivalency between the two—Solomon Mutou would sooner give up his game shop than subscribe to a radical movement of _any_ sort, much less one that was trying very seriously to destroy the world. Judgement of ethics aside, Pastor Robert had coaxed Yami into doing something "good" for others based on a _strength_ of his, rather than exploiting his weaknesses as so many others had done. Of course, both methods could perhaps be considered a form of manipulation; however, in light of recent events, Yami didn't mind the former as much.

Solomon, in a less morally ambiguous context, shared these values, and had taught Yugi extremely well in this area—not only when it came to games, but how to bring out the best in people. It made sense considering that, like Solomon, Yugi constantly needed a challenge at games because he was so skilled at them. Inspiring his opponents to rise to their full potential made the game more fun and interesting for him. But Yami knew Yugi was even more altruistic at heart than that. Yugi had unparalleled capacity for sympathy, and it really was as simple as that. One only had to look as far as his duel with Rebecca Hawkins, or a brainwashed Joey at Domino Pier, to see just how little victory mattered to him when a friend needed it more. To Yugi, games were never about winning, or power, or title. They were about human connection.

" _Please Pharaoh, don't play that card! It's affecting your mind! Don't you see? Rafael is just manipulating you! You're doing exactly what he_ wants _you to do!"_

Yugi had clung onto his arm in a desperate move to get his attention. The Seal of Orichalcos field spell card was already in the pharaoh's hand, and he was seconds away from placing it in the field slot on his duel disk. Yugi wouldn't relent, even when Yami expressed his yearn to prove Rafael wrong, to prove Dartz a liar. He wasn't evil. He just _wasn't._ He _could_ control the Seal with the light in his heart. He _always_ had control of the situation. As soon as Yugi let go of his arm, he'd use it to win the duel, and no one would ever doubt him, or his past, or his heart again.

Now all that mattered was Rafael being wrong. Rafael was about to lose, and he'd look like a damn fool.

" _Who_ cares _about winning the duel? The Orichalcos isn't the answer, it's is nothing but trouble, and you know it! It's not worth the victory… just throw it away and take the loss!"_

Yami's hand twitched in his lap. Oh, how he wished he could've taken it all back. How he wished he had recognized the morass of lies and corruption that card was involved in. If only he had just _listened_ … just taken the clue. Yugi _never_ objected against his partner's decisions without good reason. The boy could barely put a sentence together when confronted by a pretty girl or a large crowd, but he sure knew how to hold on to his morals.

" _Pharaoh, stop! No more! You've already won the duel, please stop hurting Weevil!"_

There was only one person he knew who could ever compare to the purity of Yugi's light, and he was starting to truly understand why his partner felt the way he did towards her. Téa Gardner was quite a girl—intelligent, mature, and strong-willed were a few of her many positive attributes, not to mention how attractive she was, and how much promise she had as a dancer. Her capacity for kindness, as Yami had recently learned, was along a similar vein as Yugi's, in that they've both been tested by the ills of humanity again and again. And both still insist on moving through life with their chins up and arms open. Many people claimed themselves to be this way; Yugi and Téa had the practice to prove it, and they hadn't even graduated high school yet.

This, of course, was one of many reasons why Yami was completely caught off guard when Téa admitted her attraction to _him_ instead of Yugi, preluded by an impromptu kiss she had initiated, founded upon her belief that it was something they both needed. Then again, he did willingly reciprocate the gesture, and it wasn't _just_ because she looked so stunning in only her underwear and he was worn down by anguish and pent-up hormones… so, perhaps she had a fair point. Even so, he still didn't understand it. What could she possibly hope to gain from an intimate connection with someone so unlike her, so unlike Yugi?

Yami had to admit, he was quite envious of Téa. She knew exactly how she felt, and had admitted so even when she knew it would only cause her more pain, and without expecting his reciprocity. To be that deeply in tune with one's own heart… most people would give almost anything for that kind of self-awareness.

Téa had mentioned the many occasions Yami had saved her, at least as partial explanation for her feelings for him. While Yugi provided a kindred spirit, Yami provided strength and security. It was an odd thing, how attraction worked. It would've made perfect sense in every way for her to love _Yugi_ in that way, but that was not how the cards had been dealt. Yami hardly deserved Téa's _friendship_ , much less her affection. Yugi, on the other hand, deserved the world.

Yami frowned as he rested his head against the tree. He had saved Téa from a few scoundrels, yes, but his motivations were not as selfless as she might've believed, at least in the beginning. Unlike Yugi, the Spirit of the Puzzle viewed games as an arbitration of justice—a judgement and a sentence, a prize and a penalty. He could completely remove himself emotionally from his opponent, like a soulless machine, only stimulated by a penchant for a good challenge. He played to be right, and them to be wrong. He played to win, and them to lose. The lasting psychological effects of his penalties were generally not a concern of his, so long as the recipients were cured of any desire to harm Yugi or his friends again.

 _Those who manhandle my precious Téa will suffer._

That was the first time the prize wasn't the satisfaction of poetic justice. It wasn't the glory of being right. It wasn't the thrill of a game of wits. It wasn't the marvelous spectacle that was an opponent's arrogance coming crashing down on them just before their demise.

It was Téa's life.

He tried to stay out of it for as long as possible. Yugi wasn't even aware of his existence at the time. The less he involved himself, the better. Then again, the situation was escalating quickly. He watched impatiently from the Millennium Puzzle as Yugi submitted to the authority of the gun pointed at a blindfolded Téa's head, bringing a tray of cigarettes and vodka to the gun holder like a docile servant boy. He felt Yugi's humiliation and helplessness while escaped Prisoner 777 blabbed on about quitting his vices, and the prospect of indulging on a whim. It was a special occasion, as he himself claimed—he had a restaurant full of patrons and staff huddled under their tables in fear, and an innocent, terrified young hostage at gunpoint. What's the harm in a casual drink and smoke?

" _Yugi? Is that you? Stay away, Yugi! Run!"_

The moment the Spirit had heard the sound of a slap—a hand strike punishingly across Téa's face—he had had enough. He put Yugi to sleep and emerged in his body, his cool composure masking how incensed he was. He stared fearlessly into the barrel of 777's gun, scheming the convict's punishment well before the rules for the game he was about to propose.

 _You're already treating yourself, aren't you? A drink, a smoke, a pretty girl by your side? You seem like a man who likes to have fun. Why not play a game with me? It's a game you'd like, and I'm sure a nice, stiff drink would make it even better._

" _Ha! You are nuts. Are you even old enough to drink, kid?"_

 _Oh, that's all for you, thanks. Do you accept?_

" _Whatever, sounds like a blast. Speaking of blast, I think I'll blow your brains out after I win. I guess that will be my prize. Ha!"_

 _Fine. But if I win, Téa is free to go, and you will be turned over to the authorities. Unharmed, of course._

" _Pfft… 'unharmed'! You've got some fucking nerve, punk. Alright, what the hell, you caught me in a good mood. I'll humor you. Let's play!"_

 _Alright, the game is called "One Point Kill". Here's how it works: the object of the game is to try to kill each other. But, we can only use one of our ten fingers. Using any other finger besides the one you've chosen is considered cheating. Oh, I should warn you. If you cheat, you will receive a Penalty that is far worse than losing. It would be in your best interest to play with respect to the rules._

" _Whatever kid, I ain't afraid of you. This is too easy, I'll choose my pointer finger. That's all I need to pull the trigger!"_

 _Alright, I will choose my thumb. Why don't you pour yourself a drink, and we can get started?_

Prisoner 777 got his "special occasion", alright.

Kokurano, the fraudulent psychic, got off easy in comparison.

Holding an unconscious Téa in his hands, celebrating the success of his "super powers" luring her there… Kokurano had cheated his way to his "prize" in such a despicable manner. The Spirit knew exactly how a man like Kokurano would exploit the situation.

 _"You see, my dear? My prediction came true after all. Your destiny was to put your body in the hands of the man watching over you, the man who will make you swoon. And here you are, beautiful…"_

The mystical forest of Shifter's Valley reacted to the memory playing in his mind, giving life to Kokurano's nasally, slimy voice as it gloated triumphantly to his sleeping prey.

 _"Ahaha! As long as I have my super powers, I will always have my way! I can have any woman I desire! Everyone will worship the very ground I walk on for the rest of my life!"_

When the psychic had lost the game and passed out from his own stash of chloroform, Yami remembered the burning temptation to strangle him to death with his bare hands. But the game was over, he had won. Kokurano had all the incriminating evidence he needed on his person to expose him as a fraud, not to mention the illegally obtained chloroform, and all Yami had to do was leave him there. His admirers would find him and take care of the rest. He couldn't kill a man in Yugi's body—if the psychic were found dead in a classroom, a forensics team would've surely traced it back to Yugi.

Then again, he could've used the sharp pieces of the broken chloroform bottle and discarded the evidence, instead…

No. Don't bother. Téa needed him.

 _Sleeping peacefully on the floor of the science room, Téa glowed like pink rose petals under the setting sun. She was lying on her back with her face and long legs leaning to her left, while her right arm stretched to the right. Her chest faced upwards, heaving slowly as she breathed. Wispy locks of brunette hair rested across the bridge of her nose while the rest of it fanned out on the tile beneath her head. Her pleated blue uniform skirt had ridden up—whether from her shifting in her sleep or Kokurano's doing… Yami couldn't bear to linger on the thought of it._

 _That didn't stop the primal urges from making a brief appearance, however. Her up-splayed skirt revealed the lacy trim of very feminine underwear in a soft pink, like the rosiness on her cheeks when she was flattered or embarrassed. Yami blushed at the sleeping girl, trying with difficulty to ignore the temptation to sweep his hand over the creamy skin of her thighs, to wander the curves of her hips and waist, to see what the rest of her underwear looked like…_

 _Yami clenched his fists in rebellion against the lecherous thoughts invading his mind. He had no right at all. He was supposed to be_ better _than Kokurano. He did save her, but the prize was her safety, not her subservience._

 _The Spirit reached over to adjust Téa's skirt so that she was decently covered. With the same hand, he pushed the stray hair from her cheek, unveiling a contented smile on her lovely face. He turned over his hand to softly graze over her face with the back of his fingers._

" _And over here, we have a Sleeping Beauty."_

 _His only response was the slow, warm breaths against his hand when his fingers lightly brushed over her lips._

 _The Spirit withdrew his hand, feeling heat rise in his face and neck. Enough was enough—he had to get her home. He carefully slid one arm beneath her shoulders and the other under her bent knees. He lifted her from the floor and carried her down the hall of the science building, the only sound being his footsteps tapping against the tile and echoing off the walls. Téa's head fell to lean against his shoulder, as if unconsciously expressing gratitude for his rescuing her. As her breath passed over his collar, the Spirit appreciated this shared moment he had with Téa, even if she wouldn't remember it._

Sometimes, when games were about helping others, it felt good to win.

* * *

"Yugi? Is that you back there?"

Yami nearly jumped out of his skin, having expected to brood alone. He looked around, and found a tall figure swatting tree branches out of his face on the way over to him. The man flashed Yami a victorious grin. "Aha! I knew I recognized that awesome hair."

"Hi, Carter," Yami greeted him with a small grin of his own.

Like him, Carter was dressed in plain nightclothes, only that his shirt was a navy blue and covered by a thin black sweater, and he was wearing sneakers instead of slippers. "What're you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep," Yami admitted.

Carter nodded understandingly. "Same. You mind if I join you?" He paused in his step, "Or… do you need to be alone?"

Yami shook his head and motioned beside him with his hand. "Not at all, be my guest."

Carter sat against a nearby tree, and encircled his arms around his bent knees. His hands clasped in the middle, thumbs tapping against each other anxiously.

"Do you come here often?" Yami asked him.

"Sometimes," replied Carter. "The forest in Shifter's Valley is really beautiful at night." His eyes dropped to his fidgeting hands. "Plus, it's nice to hear the voices again every once in a while."

"The voices…?" Yami echoed curiously.

Carter's voice dropped to a gentler tone. "You know… your loved ones. The people you've lost."

Yami studied Carter's face. For the first time, he saw his pleasant exterior start to give way to a more genuine, somber expression. "You've lost someone, too?"

Carter nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much everyone here has. That's part of why they're here."

"I see."

"What about you, Yugi?"

The pharaoh kept his head down. "I've lost a good friend of mine recently. Someone I was supposed to mentor and protect. He's like a brother to me. And he's gone because of my mistakes."

Carter scrunched his nose. "Aw, that's probably not totally true."

"It is," Yami insisted. "Believe me."

 _How could you, Pharaoh?_

Yami cringed at the sound of a distraught Yugi's breaking voice, muffled behind the barrier the Seal of Orichalcos had placed to trap him in the Puzzle.

"Are you okay?" Carter asked in concern.

Yami blinked a few times, still disoriented. "Yes. Sorry."

"The trick is, you gotta focus on the positive memories while you're in here," Carter informed him, "otherwise, you'll be haunted by all the bad stuff. Not good if you're trying to get over your guilt."

"Right," Yami acknowledged quietly.

"Anyway, I'm really sorry for your loss, man," Carter condoled. "Whether or not you were at fault, it's never easy either way."

"It sure isn't," Yami agreed. "What about you?"

"Well…" Carter began, frowning for the first time Yami had seen, "this happened a while ago, but… I lost my older sister."

"Oh," said Yami. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

Carter pressed his lips together. "Thanks. After the accident… we pretty much knew it was over. She hung on for like, an hour, and then she was gone." He released his knees so he could sit cross-legged. "It sucks. I miss her a lot."

"I'm sure. She must've been a great person."

"She was. She did struggle a bit, when we were growing up," he continued. "She had some drug and alcohol problems in her late teens and early twenties, but she got herself out of it. She kept herself sober by focusing on her passion."

"And what was that?" Yami inquired.

Carter's face lit up with a wistful smile. "She took all the money she was spending on her vices and opened up a dance studio, so she could teach kids ballet."

Yami's eyes widened. No, it had to be coincidence. Still, it didn't stop the lurch in his stomach. "I-I see," he managed to choke out.

Recognition flashed across Carter's green eyes. "Wait… didn't you and Téa say you're from Domino?"

Beneath his folded hands, Yami's thumb twitched. "Yes."

"Oh, that's crazy. I used to live a couple hours away from the city. Small world, eh?"

"I guess so."

Carter's face fell after a few moments. "Jennifer had just gotten engaged, too. So sad."

"Did you just say, 'Jennifer'?" Yami blurted out before he realized what he was saying.

"Yeah," Carter confirmed with a puzzled expression. "Did you know her?"

"No, but… I remember seeing it on the news," he lied.

Carter seemed to accept his answer. "I see. So, if you saw it on the news, you remember how she died, then."

"Yes."

Carter shook his head slowly, gnashing his teeth. "I just don't understand, Yugi. Jennifer worked so hard to get back on the right track. She paid her dues. And how was she rewarded? She was killed by a drunk driver. Some kid took Mommy's car on a joy ride in the middle of the night, after doing a bunch of drugs and drinking almost half a bottle of vodka, and crushed her fiancé's car against a tree like a soda can. Her fiancé thankfully made it out alive, but he can never walk again. And to make it all worse? That piece of shit walked away totally fine, didn't even break any bones."

Carter gasped at himself, and suddenly slapped the inside of his own left forearm with his hand as if swatting a fly. Noticing Yami's bemused expression, he explained, "I stained my lips with foul words, which the Great One does not approve of. He is always watching, always judging."

Yami remained silent, so put off by the strange behavior he wasn't sure what to say to it.

Carter, however, shook it off as if nothing happened. "Anyway, sorry about that. Gotta pay my dues, ya know?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a half-full carton of cigarettes. He held it out to Yami. "Want a smoke?"

Yami eyed the cigarettes, his answer waiting on the tip of his tongue. He remembered his first exposure, lighting Prisoner 777's cigarette, just before he let the lighter fall on the prisoner's hand that was pouring vodka into an overflowing glass tumbler. The rich, smoky aroma of the burning tobacco saturated the air and quickly overpowered the smells of Burger World's low-grade beef and salty fries, causing a blindfolded Téa to wrinkle her nose in repulsion. While he was primarily focused on the game, Yami found a strange fondness for the scent. It paired nicely with the feeling of gaining the upper hand.

Yugi's mother had quit her pack-a-day habit long ago, but she occasionally had one or two after a stressful work day. Yugi couldn't stand the smell of it and would complain whenever she indulged. One day, sometime after Yugi had befriended the Spirit of the Puzzle, Yami accidentally gave himself away when, while in control of the body, he inquired Yugi about what that 'interesting earthy smell' was. Yugi adamantly warned him against it, as it was a highly addictive and disgusting habit, and firmly forbade him from partaking while in his body.

" _Maybe if you somehow manage to possess Mom for a day, she'd let you try one. Then again, she'd be more worried about how and why the soul of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh is possessing her in the first place!"_

That was the only time Yugi had ever joked about it. After his near-death experience in the warehouse fire, Yugi stopped bothering to comment on it altogether, choosing instead to simply leave the room whenever his mother relapsed. Yami worried that Yugi's trauma from the fire had exacerbated his already potent dislike of smoke, and it frustrated him that it _still_ didn't seem enough to curb Mrs. Mutou's habits for good.

Nevertheless, neither of them had brought it up again since.

"No, thank you," Yami finally refused.

Carter stuffed the carton back into his pocket and lit his own cigarette. "It's just… sometimes I get mad when I think about how our justice system failed Jennifer, how the _world_ failed Jennifer. Not only did that kid walk away from the accident—the one _he_ caused—with his life, he only got like, fifteen years in prison. Three square meals a day, health insurance, satellite TV, even computer coding classes! He's living better than the homeless, all for being a murderer."

"I thought he was trying to kill himself, not take a joy ride," Yami commented. He hastily added, "not that it pardons him of anything."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "Where did you hear that? I don't remember that being on the news."

Yami swallowed. "Just a rumor I heard."

"Does it really make a difference, in the end?" Carter asked bitterly, "Jennifer is still dead. Ron still can't walk. I find it hard to give any sincere thought to what a drug addict was up to before he ruined my life." He flicked the ash on his cig to the side. "Ya know, I got kinda tired of people trying to make me sympathize with him. It was always about compassion, it's always 'well what about _him_?!' and 'it was an _accident_ , Carter' and 'you need to _forgive_ him, Carter' and all this apologist nonsense. Maybe I would've figured out how to forgive him by now if only I was just allowed to be angry for a little while first."

"I'm sorry if it sounded like I was defending his actions," Yami offered regretfully. "I meant no such thing."

He waved it off. "You've said nothing wrong, Yugi." His green eyes fell downcast. "Sorry, I guess it's just been a while since I vented about it."

"Like you just said, sometimes you just need to."

Carter flashed his eyebrows. "Not like any of this is going to matter, anyway."

Yami furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the world as we know it is ending soon. Guess the cokehead will get his death wish, after all."

Carter looked up as a thought came to him. "Oh, by the way, someone from the acquisitions team reported back the other day. Apparently, the nameless pharaoh and his hostage were sighted at the Village of Sun during the Reaping. That's why everyone has been extra giddy lately."

"His hostage?" asked Yami, trying to conceal his shock by the rest of the news. He felt sweat gather on the back of his neck, and he reached back to rub at it.

Carter shrugged. "Well, the guy was a cruel dictator when he ruled Egypt. Makes sense."

Yami looked off to the side in bafflement, processing the information as calmly as possible despite the sheer panic moving icily through his body.

" _I heard about you, Pharaoh. How you were a cruel dictator who used the power of the Shadow Realm to control your subjects."_

"Don't worry, we'll get 'im," Carter assured him. Wisps of smoke petered out of his mouth as he spoke.

Yami collected his nerves before turning back to him. He was hit by a strong whiff of smoldering tobacco. "Carter, may I ask you something personal?"

"Go for it," he consented, taking another puff.

Yami cleared his throat. "If you admire your sister for overcoming her addictions so much, why do you smoke?"

Carter smiled softly. "Ah, good question. Um… can I let you in on a little secret?"

"Sure."

He removed the cigarette out of his mouth to blow out another cloud. "I'm impotent."

Yami blinked in confusion. "Impotent… as in powerless? To quit?"

Carter coughed on his cigarette as he laughed. "Yugi, you are too funny." He paused to cough a bit more, and wiped his mouth. "Yes, it means that I'm powerless. To get an erection."

Yami nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Oh."

Carter smirked. "Sorry if that was too much information."

"No, it's not that. No offense, but I'm just trying to figure out how that's relevant."

"None taken," he replied. He flicked the butt of his spent cigarette on the ground and put it out with his sneaker. "Well, someone who can't… you know, _procreate_ … isn't very useful to a post-apocalyptic society, is he?"

Yami stared grimly as Carter pulled out and lit a second smoke. "I guess not in that sense, no. But I still don't understand why—"

"It's pretty simple, actually," Carter cut in, "I'm going to donate my life force to the cause."

"What?!" Yami asked incredulously.

Carter shushed him sternly. "Dude, will you keep it down? We are out way past curfew."

"Sorry," he muttered at a subdued volume. "But, Carter, how could you think of doing such a thing? You're willing to give your life away for the destruction of humanity?"

Carter frowned. "What else can I do? Yugi… I just turned twenty-six. That's how old my sister was when she was killed. Even in her few years teaching dance, she had done so much good for the community that the entire town mourned her when she died. What have I done? Listened to a lot of music and played a lot of racquetball. A whole lot of nothing."

"That's not true," argued Yami. "You were doing things you loved to do. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I guess it's better than doing drugs and killing people," Carter replied sarcastically, "In any case, I'm ill-equipped to spread the population after the Holy Cleansing. The Church Leviathan needs the fertile folks to keep the human race going after most of it is gone. I can still serve in other ways."

"Do you not see the hypocrisy in that?" Yami asked candidly, earning him a curious stare. "You condemn the man who killed your sister, but you seem perfectly fine with the elimination of most of humanity, and you're even willing to sacrifice your own life to support it?"

Carter's jawline hardened, and Yami sensed that he might've stepped on a nerve. "Yugi," he warned.

"Sorry," Yami defended, "but I have a hard time believing in an ideology that cannot stand up to scrutiny. You may resent me for it if you wish, but I stand by it."

Carter gnashed his teeth. "It's not that, but this is sensitive territory you're treading into."

"I understand that, but—"

"Did it ever occur to you that there might be a difference between people like Jennifer, and people like the man who killed her?" Carter asked with a pained, sullen tone, "That maybe some people deserve to live more than others? Why does he get to live while Jennifer paid the price for his stupidity? If the rumor you heard is actually true… then he didn't even want to live in the first place. He wanted to throw his life away while Jennifer intended to live hers to the fullest. How is that fair?"

"You're throwing your life away, too, aren't you?" Yami suggested.

Carter took an exasperated breath. "Donating. It's actually going to do some good. After the Great One purges evil from the world… no one will have to deal with that kind of pain again."

"I don't think that's how morality works," Yami argued cautiously.

"Yeah, well what do _you_ know?" Carter spat furiously. A moment passed, and his features softened, and he looked remorsefully at Yami. "I'm really sorry, man. I didn't mean that."

Yami calmly shook his head. "It's alright. I understand why you are angry, and that you want to do the right thing. While we fundamentally disagree, you weren't wrong in calling me out."

"Well," said Carter, "I do get touchy about this sometimes. If I had a full life ahead of me, I'd maybe work on it more. But… I've already made my decision, and I have to stick by it. It's the only thing I have since Jennifer's death that gives me purpose." He took a puff, and cleared his throat. "So anyway, as you can figure out, it doesn't really matter if I smoke. As long as my soul is intact."

"Is it, though?" Yami questioned. "It just seems…" he stopped, realizing his next words might cause more tension. "Nevermind. It's your life, and your choice."

Carter shook his head. "It's not my life, Yugi. It belongs to the Great One, the Great God Leviathan. Its purpose is to serve Him and His cause."

"I think you have more say in the matter than that," Yami asserted. "Why do you devote yourself so readily to your God and the church?"

"Because," Carter spoke slowly and clearly, "when I had nowhere to go, the Church Leviathan gave me a home. When I was alone, they gave me a family. They understood me when no one else bothered to honestly try. Gale personally listened to my confessions of my true feelings without criticizing me for my anger. She let me holler and scream and cry until I couldn't anymore. At my lowest point, she held me and told me it'll be alright. Because people like him… the evil people of the world, they're finally about to receive their just desserts."

" _Just Desserts! I think you'll find that it will help you come to_ grips _—"_

 _Yami hadn't heard what the Spirit of the Ring said after that. As he flipped over the trap card, a searing pain suddenly ripped through Yami's chest as his life point meter plummeted. He winced and cried out, clutching the fabric of his shirt to contain the pain. He'd played many Shadow Games in the past, but this was intensity he'd never experienced in the Shadow Realm before. Not only did it reduce his life points to a fraction of its original value in only one move, it felt vindictive, like a punishment, an act of personal spite. This Spirit was no ordinary opponent; his shadow powers were vast and refined, and he gave the impression that he was after more than just the Millennium Puzzle. He seemed motivated by a rather malicious grudge against the Spirit residing in it._

"— _feel like every point was ripped from your beating heart," the silver-haired Spirit's voice drifted back into his ears, cool and arrogant. Even with his eyes scrunched closed, Yami could hear the smirk in his tone, his savoring a small taste of vengeance. Yami caught his breath, and straightened himself. Until he knew more about what he had done to warrant the Spirit's hostility, he refused to give him the satisfaction._

"That is why I believe in the Great One, Yugi," Carter professed, "because He believes that pretty much anyone who is willing to serve Him can do something meaningful for the world. He taught us the power of unity and devotion, that through Him we can rise above our own inner darkness and create a better world. The Great God Leviathan is the True Arbiter of Justice, and He will reconcile for the evil that has plagued His children's home. Just imagine… a world where no one hurt each other, and everyone lived in peace and harmony."

Carter broke through the solemn mood with a soft chuckle. "That reminds me of that one John Lennon song, 'Imagine'. You know it?"

Yami shrugged. Pop culture wasn't really his area. "Not really, but I've probably heard it in passing."

Carter leaned his back against the tree behind him. His hand fell to his knee, the shortened cigarette wedged between his index and middle finger. "It's a good one," he remarked. He closed his eyes and fell silent, and a smile settled on his face. His lips started to move, and Yami could hear him softly murmuring lyrics… singing.

 _Imagine there's no countries  
It isn't hard to do  
Nothing to kill or die for  
And no religion too  
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you_

 _You may say I'm a dreamer  
But I'm not the only one  
I hope someday you'll join us  
And the world will be as one_

Carter's eyes fluttered open, blinking as if he had been pulled out of a trance. He smiled at Yami with a glazed eyes. "Jen and I listened to John Lennon and the Beatles all the time when we were younger. I just remembered us singing it in the car on the way to her dance practice."

"I think I remember the song now," Yami commented, "but isn't there a line in there that says 'no religion too'?"

Carter tilted his head thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess there is. Huh."

With a yawn, Carter pulled himself up to his feet and trashed his cigarette with his shoe. "You're a good guy, Yugi," he told Yami. "I really hope that you'll give this place a chance." He zipped up his sweater and ran both hands through his hair a couple times. "I'm going to try to get some sleep before the service tomorrow. I'm looking forward to hearing the sermon you're going to read. Should be cool."

"Thanks," Yami replied. "I'll head back in a little bit." He paused for a moment. "Actually, before you go… could I have a cigarette after all?"

Carter chuckled as he handed the pack and lighter to Yami. "Uh oh, I'm being a bad influence on ya, Yugi."

Yami humored him with a laugh as he took a cigarette and the lighter. "I highly doubt that's possible." He held up the lighter. "May I borrow this for the night?"

"Keep it, I got tons of 'em." He held up a hand in farewell. "G'night, Yugi. We shall begin anew."

Yami waved back. "Goodnight, Carter. Sleep well."

* * *

After all they'd been through, sleep was supposed to be a given, a chance to renew lost strength.

But Téa remained restless, tossing and turning under the linens while the rest she desperately needed evaded her. She sighed in defeat and sat up, groaning and rubbing at her eyes. Her conflicted heart was working around the clock, aching for all those who had been hurt by the insanity surrounding them. She thought of Yugi, a soul prisoner somewhere far away from them... helpless, terrified, and alone. She thought of the pharaoh, lost and utterly destroyed in spirit, and how her many attempts to help him gain some perspective never seemed to stick for too long. She wished he was beside her, or her beside him. She was hesitant to trust him with himself, considering the fluctuating mental state he was in.

But who was she kidding? That wasn't the only reason.

Téa resented her own heart sometimes. All this absurdity they've had to endure together, watching Yami's pedestal crumble under his feet, all his ugly behavior... and it _still_ wasn't enough to snap her out of her attraction for him. Even caring about him as a friend was exhausting enough as it is; wrestling with her feelings for him, not to mention the abundance of sexual tension between them, only added to her turmoil. She was only sixteen, and yet too many times she had to be the adult between the two of them. It just wasn't fair. None of them deserved _any_ of this, least of which Yugi.

Her mother taught her to walk away from men like Yami; their problems were not her responsibility. Then again, this was the same mother who slammed the front door in her own son's face when he needed help the most.

Téa swung her legs over the bed and crouched down to retrieve her backpack from under the bedframe. She sat back on the mattress, with the Millennium Puzzle resting in her lap. The Puzzle was clunky and heavy, made of solid gold. It hung on a thick metal chain that had replaced the light leather rope. It was unfortunate timing on Yugi's part. The cruel irony was that he was trying to _protect_ the Puzzle, and that very chain prevented him from taking it back after it was stolen out of his hands the _same day_. The rope would've been incinerated in the warehouse fire in seconds, and Yugi could've reassembled the pieces of the broken Puzzle anywhere else.

Téa gazed at the Puzzle in wonder. It was a truly beautiful artifact, forged with care and meticulous detail on the carvings. The golden pieces caught the radiance of the moonlight spilling through the small window above her bed. It seemed to warm in her hands for no apparent reason, and Téa pondered, with slight unease, exactly how sentient the object in her lap was. She wondered what the Eye of Wdjat had seen, what tales of history it had borne sole witness to, whose blood had spilled upon its edges.

 _On her knees, she tearfully begged the firefighters around here to put out the fire that was putting Joey and Tristan in danger, while at the same time torn by the urgency to find wherever Yugi had chased off the cloaked figure who stole his Millennium Puzzle. Her closest friends needed her, and what could she do, but sit on the ground and cry helplessly? She felt so pathetic and useless._

 _Another piece of the warehouse's ceiling collapsed in on itself, and plumes of thick black smoke rose from the opening as the building was being slowly consumed by the growing flames. The fire was already spreading to the wooden fence surrounding the lot, and the police had since arrived to evacuate any civilians in the area. The firefighters were hosing it down as quickly as they could… but not quickly enough._

 _Téa rose to her feet. Her legs wobbled, but she soon found balance. Wiping her tears, she stared at the open double doors of the warehouse, and saw the orange and black blaze raging inside. She couldn't stand by anymore and watch her friends throw themselves in peril. She cared too deeply to leave herself out if she could be helpful. If she were to avoid anyone stopping her, she'd have to run, and run fast. Her hands shook wildly, but she clenched them in determination. Her heart pounded fiercely from the adrenaline. If she died in the fire… well… at least she died on the front lines._

" _One… two… thr—"_

 _Two figures charged out of the inferno at that precise moment, one of them cradling a third in its arms. The sunlight caught them, and revealed them be soot-covered Joey and Tristan. In Tristan's arms, was…_

 _Téa's heart was paralyzed in dread. "Yugi!" She rushed to them, her eyes on the boy's tiny frame, covered in sweat and dirt and smelling like an ashtray, lying limply in Tristan's arms with the Millennium Puzzle wrapped in his blistered fingers._

 _Joey, thankfully, was quick to ease her worry. "Don't worry, Téa. He's fine, just unconscious. We got both him and the Millennium Puzzle out in time."_

 _Before Téa could reply, paramedics arrived with a stretcher, and took Yugi away from them. A paramedic took Joey and Tristan aside to address their medical needs, and Téa was left alone to process._

 _She hadn't expected it, but the first emotion that sliced through her was anger. 'We got both him and the Millennium Puzzle out safely'?! Who gives a damn about the_ Puzzle _—her best friend in the world almost_ died _! That damn thing was what led them to so much danger in the first place!_

 _Téa clapped her hand over her mouth, even though she hadn't voiced any of her thoughts aloud. She felt ashamed of what had just run through her mind, and Yugi would've surely been hurt by it if he'd known of it. Of_ course _she cared about the Millennium Puzzle—the spirit still residing in there was just as human as Yugi, even with the Puzzle as a surrogate for a real physical body. She was deeply relieved that they both were out of harm's way, at least for the time being. But something in her gut told her that this wasn't an ordinary criminal they were dealing with, and it wouldn't be the last they'd see of them._

 _Téa turned around, and saw Yugi's body on the stretcher near the ramp leading to the back of the ambulance, with safety restraints strapped over his body and an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. The paramedic beside him was attempting to remove the Puzzle from Yugi's hands, with little success, as Yugi's grasp was like a vice even while unconscious._

" _Please, sir," Téa pled as she rushed over. "Please let him hold it. It's really important to him."_

 _The paramedic shook his head. "Sorry, Miss, but it's in the way. He can get it back when he's at the hospital."_

 _Téa scowled under her breath. "Fine. I'm his best friend, I'll hold onto it." After receiving approval, she came to Yugi's side on the stretcher. His large eyes were closed, and she could hear the oxygen tank whir as he breathed. "Yugi, it's Téa." She delicately touched his arm. "The paramedics need the Puzzle out of the way to help you get better. I'm going to hold onto it for you until we get to the hospital, okay?"_

 _She tugged at the golden pyramid, but Yugi wouldn't relent. She checked around her for probing ears; the firefighters and paramedics were giving them adequate space._

" _I promise I will keep the Spirit of the Puzzle safe," Téa whispered to his ear._

 _She tried another tug, and Yugi's grip slowly relaxed. She took the Millennium Puzzle in her hands, cradling it like a small infant, as Yugi's stretcher was loaded onto the ambulance._

 _Joey and Tristan joined her a few moments later. "That thing must be really frickin' special if Yugi just risked his life for it," Joey commented as he looked upon it with curiosity._

 _Téa glanced down at the golden pyramid in her arms. The Eye of Wdjat stared back at her, and a strange sensation emanated from it, enveloping her heart with warmth—gratitude._

" _Yeah," Téa agreed. She looked up at her two boys, who both had first aid applied to the scratches and burns on their faces. "Are you guys alright?"_

" _We're just fine," Tristan replied, "now that Yugi's going to be okay."_

" _And the Millennium Puzzle," Téa rejoined, tracing her thumb over the edge. "Don't forget about the Millennium Puzzle."_

Téa picked up the Puzzle, and pressed the Eye of Wdjat against her heart as she hugged the pyramid tightly in her arms, ignoring the edges and corners poking her flesh. Tears sprung from her eyes from nowhere, falling onto the Puzzle.

"Yugi…"

She wept and wept, not bothering to wipe her tears as they came down her face in endless streams. Her memories with him, predating nearly everyone else she was close to, were now the only things she had to grasp onto to keep herself stable. How she wished she could have a mental breakdown like Yami after the Village of Sun massacre. She needed that kind of catharsis, but the need to be focused and grounded was greater. Conscientiousness had kept her attention off the one truth that could make her falter.

She was terrified of never seeing Yugi again.

Téa missed hearing his voice, hearing him laugh, watching him play a casual game with his Yugi-like amiability. She missed the nice things he would do or say, such as a compliment of her haircut or a hug on a gloomy day. The day she had finally come clean to Yugi about her family's past, she expected him to distance himself from her, and would've perfectly understood if he had done so. Instead, Yugi used the rest of his allowance to buy her an ice cream cone, let her vent for hours, and dried her tears with his sleeve. He was only ten years old at the time.

"Of course I still want to be your friend, Téa! You didn't even do anything wrong. Besides, being alone sucks," he'd said.

Tears just kept coming, and Téa started to realize how much sorrow she had had to contain for Yami's sake. In the past couple days, she had thought so little about Yugi in comparison to how much she thought about the pharaoh, constantly worrying about where his fractured mental state would drive him next. At least for the time being, Yugi would remain in the same place, contained. Yami, on the other hand, was still "at large" per Dartz, and alternated between a stoic, masterful tactician and an emotional loose cannon.

But Yugi… he was more than worth her thoughts, her tears. Téa loved him so dearly, as he was her closest friend. Their meaningful bond was a constant in her life from where she drew much of her inner strength in dark times, something not even her romantic attraction to Yami could tread on. Or… so she hoped.

Téa looked at the Millennium Puzzle again. There was a reason why Anthea took a risk telling Yami to stay under cover. There was a reason why she had a gut feeling that the Puzzle was problematic, and had forced him to let her hide it. Though she didn't know it, there was a reason why the Pharaoh was unwelcome here.

Téa leapt off the bed and sifted through the large closet. Anthea had supplied her and Yami with some complimentary clothes—stylish but quite modest. She highly doubted leaving her room in only her satin nightgown was considered decent, if anyone saw her. Finally, she found a thick cotton robe in a teal green color, and slipped it on. She hung the Millennium Puzzle around her neck, momentarily put off by how heavy it was, and secured her robe over it to conceal it from view.

The Millennium Puzzle would not fall into the wrong hands again, not if she could help it.

* * *

Yami waited patiently until Carter was out of sight before turning his attention to the lighter in his hand. He flicked the spark wheel a few times with his thumb, staring absently as the small flame burst to life and vanished just as quickly. With his other hand, he raised the cigarette to his lips, holding the filter straight with his teeth. The raw tobacco grounds had a faint bittersweet smell to it, like oolong tea leaves, and he wondered if the taste lived up to the hype.

Yami straightened his legs in front of him and crossed one ankle over the other. He raised the lighter to the tobacco end. With trembling fingers, he held the flame there until it smoldered. The burning tobacco immediately took him back to the booth in Burger World, but other memories started to drift in its place—warmer, happier memories:

Small children leaping into piles of red and orange leaves collecting on the lawns in Domino Park.

Mr. Mutou stoking the crackling fireplace on a cold winter evening.

Summer night beach bonfires with Yugi's friends.

Oddly enough, the cigarette reminded him of the calmer, more mundane parts of home in Domino City. He treasured each day Yugi got to be the teenager he was, going to school and spending time with his friends, without dealing with problems that weren't his.

" _Pharaoh, would you mind taking over for a little while? The fire is kind of freaking me out."_

 _Not at all, Yugi. Are you alright?_

" _Yeah. I'll be okay. Don't worry about me and just have some fun. And try a s'more before Joey eats all the marshmallows. Oh… nevermind."_

The pharaoh let the cigarette sit tacitly in his mouth, watching the up-reaching tail of smoke dance like a charmed snake. This was his test, his Game of Darkness. He could not leave until he finished the cigarette, without taking a single puff. He was going to prove to himself, right here and now, that he was capable of controlling his actions, doing the right thing, refraining from going against his host's wishes again… even at the apex of temptation. It was only a small step in the right direction, but a step nonetheless.

An object drifted into Yami's peripheral vision, and he looked up. There, amid dozens of trees stretching endlessly into darkness, was a large mirror. Behind the glass, watching him, was his Spirit vigilante persona. Yami tensed as his defensive instincts seized him, but then relaxed, remembering the illusory effects of Shifter's Valley. This was his Orichalcos-centric dream making a reappearance, as was the Spirit of his past. His arms were folded, his fingers drumming on his arm. However, instead of an accusatory glare, the Spirit vigilante's gaze was more intrigued, observant, like a challenge.

The mirror illusion faded away, as did the dying ember on the lighted end of Yami's cigarette. He ignited the flame of the lighter, and held it to the tip once more.

"Game start."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

A/N: Some more 'splainin. Sorry I didn't include the asterisks in the body, I find them distracting as a reader.

*"Flashing your eyebrows" means that little jump that your eyebrows do as an (often sarcastic) acknowledgement of something. I only used it once, but just to be clear what's happening there.

*Just in case it wasn't clear enough, this chapter takes place the night/morning _before_ the church service in the previous chapter.

*Please do NOT take any part of this story as an endorsement of cigarettes. I am only trying to describe it as Yami's addictive personality perceives it. I'm a social smoker myself, so I'm at least able to provide the sensory detail, but don't be like me. :-)

Don't forget to favorite and let me know what you think. I love hearing about what my readers are taking from the story. Thanks again for reading!

ALG


	7. PART IV: Complicit

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!, or anything you recognize.**

(please review content warnings, as they have been updated)

Thank you all so much for your patience. I decided to post this a little earlier than I anticipated. I figured, I can either sit on this FOREVER and keep obsessing over small edits... or just post and let it go. The important thing is keeping the story going. So, here you go :-)

THIS IS A **DARK** CHAPTER. That's not the first time I've said that. But I mean it. This is heavy. I literally cried typing out one of these scenes. You have been warned. But hey, you made it this far, right?

Thanks for waiting. I hope this is worth it.

xo ALG

Edit: There IS an edit due to a canon continuity error, pointed out by a couple reviewers (thanks for the catch!). I had to alter a few details from the canon to make it work. I hope it doesn't detract from the story.

* * *

 **Vices**  
PART IV: Complicit

11:58pm

The pharaoh stared grimly at the numbers on the digital clock on his nightstand, glaring a bright green in the dark room. He fiddled with the fabric of his white sleepshirt, where the edge of the Millennium Puzzle usually weighed against his torso. While manifested in the physical realm, he'd never been without it. The lack of its presence was disorienting, as he was conditioned to expect the gentle tapping against his ribs whenever he moved. He was anxious to hold it in his hands, to wear it once again, even if he had to relinquish it back into Téa's custody before leaving. He needed something familiar in this unfamiliar place, something that made him feel in control, protected, untouchable.

11:59pm

Taking a deep breath, Yami rose and exited the room, moving slowly as to not make a sound with the door. He headed up the staircase at the end of the hall to the third floor. The dorm facility was deadly quiet, save for the chorus of crickets piercing through the walls and windows, and the careful but still-resonant steps of his slippers. He ascended the staircase to the third floor, where a long hall of doors stretched down in front of him. Soft moonlight from the south-facing windows bounced off the polished tile floor, giving just enough light to reveal the bare, undecorated walls and doors. Not a single potted plant, painting, or item of décor in sight. It looked like something between a hotel and a high-end medical suite.

[ 30 ]

[ 31 ]

[ 32 ]

[ 33 ]

Yami drew out his breath as he slowly made his way down, seeing his shadow pass over each door he crossed from the corner of his eye. Everything around him was nudging at his senses, telling him to extract Téa from her room and make a run for it. She was quite emphatic on him avoiding being caught, yet reluctant when he insisted they leave right away. Téa was putting on a performance, and not the kind that involved dancing onstage—she was dancing on glass. She plastered on a smile when she knew she was being watched, and it always fell to concern and discomfort at any moment of privacy between them. She seemed to know something he didn't, and while he needed to know what it was, part of him was dreading to find out.

Finally, he came upon Téa's door.

[ 36 ]

He pushed down the brass handle and carefully opened the door. In the dark, tidy room, he saw Téa, dressed in a teal green robe, sitting at the edge of her bed facing the door. Her face was blank, clean of any trace of emotion—Yami had never seen her like that, having always been reasonably able to read her emotional state. He closed and locked the door behind him as quietly as possible, and turned around only to be bumped backwards by Téa rushing into his arms. Not expecting this, Yami braced his right leg back to steady them, and let his hands fall onto her back. She was trembling against him.

"Téa?" Yami whispered to her.

Her first response was her arms wrapping tighter around him. "Sorry I'm so sorry…" Téa's soft apologetic murmurs were muffled by his shoulder, and he could feel dampness on his shirt—tears.

"What's wrong, Téa? Are you alright?"

Téa lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. These weren't tears of sadness, or joy. The tears sitting on Téa's thick eyelashes were a side-effect of something else—fear, desperation, or relief, he couldn't be sure. One of her hands released his back to wipe at her eyes.

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I was so afraid, I… thought… that… that you maybe… that I…"

Yami was growing more curious, and concerned, by her behavior. Téa was usually very sure of herself, well-spoken, and wasn't afraid to speak her mind when she deemed it necessary. Upon his arrival, however, she could barely get a word out, and she was shaking like a leaf.

"Téa," he tried again, his hands sliding up to her shoulders. "What's the matter?"

Téa released him, and stepped back a pace or two. Her face darkened and her jaw tensed. With shaking fingers, she rolled back her left sleeve. The light from her window was dim, but Yami saw what he needed to see—marks. Red lines, partially scabbed, cut across her wrist and on the inside of her forearm.

Yami gasped at the sight. He took her hand in his, and his other hand supported her forearm from underneath, bringing it closer to his face. He studied the scrapes on the pink skin, speechless, already feeling the anger budding in his chest. Téa withdrew her arm from his hold and hid it in her sleeve, turning slightly away from him in shame.

"Who did this to you?" Yami asked, seething.

Téa's lip trembled as she opened her mouth. "Gale," she whispered, sniffling.

Yami's eyes widened in disbelief. " _Gale_?" he asked incredulously. " _She_ did this to you?"

She held a finger to her lips in a silencing manner before answering. "Well, some stocky guy who works for her did, technically. But Gale gave the command."

"What happened?" Yami asked in a hushed, urgent tone. "Tell me what happened. Please."

Téa beckoned him away from the door with her hand, and they sat beside each other at the foot of the bed. "Well, last night, someone caught me outside the building after curfew. The next thing I knew, I was being hauled into this room in the back of the sanctuary by two guys I'd never seen before. It looked like an office of some sort. The guys sat me down at the desk, and Gale was sitting behind it. She had a big smile on her face, and it just seemed like one big misunderstanding that would be easy to fix, ya know? She greeted me, and asked me how I was doing. I thought it was a weird question, since it was like two in the morning. I made a small joke, something like 'fine, probably supposed to be sleeping right now, right?' or whatever.

Then she showed me a picture on the desk—her as a little girl, with Galina Ulanova, one of my favorite ballerinas of all time. It was at a show of the 'Romeo and Juliet' ballet in London, dated 1956."

" _Your friend Yugi mentioned at dinner that you're a dancer," said Gale as she handed the framed photograph to Téa for her to hold._

" _Oh, well I guess he's partially right," Téa responded, blushing. "I_ want _to be a dancer someday. I've been taking classes and looking into college programs, but I still have a long way to go."_

" _For ballet, I recall?"_

" _Yes ma'am," she confirmed. She looked down at the photograph, its colors washed out and faded with age. Young Gale, with tight brunette curls and a shy smile, stood beside tall and stunning forty-six-year-old Galina Ulanova in her 'Juliet' white deathbed gown, on the side of the Covent Garden Stage._

" _I'll never forget that night," Gale said, tilting her head up thoughtfully. "My goodness, what an incredible performance. Ms. Ulanova was so beautiful, so graceful… an absolute angel."_

" _I'm sure she was," Téa said dreamily. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous you got to see her before she died. And you even got a picture with her!"_

" _Be careful with jealousy, young lady," she warned with a wagging finger, "it veers too close to envy, and to envy is to sin." Her features softened slightly. "But, I do understand. I was very fortunate to experience that. My grandfather was the only one in the family who had a color camera, and he wouldn't let us leave without getting a photograph with her."_

Téa's shoulders tensed. "That's when she changed," she told Yami. "She started questioning me. Asking me why I was out past curfew… apparently, that's strictly forbidden, and she lectured me about the rules of curfew like she was angry at me or something. I kept apologizing but she was persistent."

She continued with a wobbly voice, "So, they brought out this stick-looking thing out of the desk drawer. It was about this long"—she held her hands about three feet apart—"and made of some kind of flexible wood."

Yami's fists tightened on the blanket. He had an idea where this was going.

"Then Gale asked me to stand. I did, and then she looked me in the eye and said, 'so soon after you arrive here, you eat our food, wear our clothes, sleep in our bed with our roof over your head… and you're already romping around this place at any hour you please? Rambunctious girl you are… how can you ever become a prima ballerina if you're getting into so much trouble?' like she was my mother or something. She told me that, because it was my first punishment, the Great One will show mercy and cut the penalty in half, so long that I beg His forgiveness with an open heart."

"Penalty…" Yami echoed ponderously.

"Yeah," Téa confirmed, "I expected maybe kitchen duty, or laundry or something like that. Apparently… my 'half penalty' for my rule-breaking, which included being out past curfew and being uncooperative in an interrogation, is ten strokes, normally twenty." She looked away from him, holding her injured forearm protectively in her lap. "One of the men restrained me, while the other held my arm in place, with the cane in his other hand. Gale gave the order, and just… left the room. And the guy just…" she grimaced, "he… hit my arm _real_ hard, ten times, all while telling me to beg the 'Great One' for forgiveness."

Yami growled. "That's sick. How dare they…"

"I was so terrified I finally caved towards the end and said whatever I could come up with to appease them," Téa admitted tearfully. "It hurt, but not as much as the shame I felt afterwards. I felt so humiliated, like I was a _criminal_ or something." She shook her head. "They let me go, gave me an ice pack, and shoved me out the door. Gale was waiting for me, with this huge smile on her face, and proudly told me that the Great One was merciful on me, and that I should be getting off to bed. All of a sudden she was acting like she was at my graduation or something. And then as I was leaving, she was like, 'good night dear, I'll see you tomorrow morning at the service, we shall begin anew!' like I wasn't just horrifically abused seconds ago."

Yami sat in silence, processing the information he was just given. This must've been what he was sensing all along—a peek at Church Leviathan behind closed doors.

"Téa…" he breathed. "I'm so sorry you went through that. That is unacceptable."

Téa nodded in acknowledgement, but stayed silent with a somber frown.

"May I ask what you were doing out of the building?"

"Well, I was actually hiding your Puzzle," answered Téa.

"Oh," said Yami, perplexed. "Why hide it out there?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I just didn't feel that it was safe in either of our rooms. Call it a gut feeling."

"You said two in the morning…" Yami murmured, "that's around when I had come back to _my_ room last night."

Confused, Téa tilted her head. "Huh? You were out, too?"

Yami nodded. "Yes, I had gone outside, into the forest for a while. I needed to think."

"Oh. And you didn't get caught?"

He shook his head. "No. Because you were, instead. You took punishment that I should've received."

"We were both guilty of breaking the rules, Yami."

"Yes, but while you were trying to save us both, I was…" he scoffed at himself, "just screwing around again. Doing nothing useful. If it had to be one of us dealing with the consequences, it should've been me."

 _It should've been_ me _, not him! It just isn't fair! Yugi… come back!_

Yami stood, and grabbed Téa by the hand. "Get dressed," he told her. "After we retrieve the Puzzle, we're getting out of here."

"We can't," Téa objected, taking her hand back.

"Why not?" Yami demanded, almost too loudly. "After how they treated you, you're insisting we stay?"

Téa drew in a breath. "Haven't you heard what they're saying, about how Dartz's men have spotted the 'pharaoh and his hostage' at the Village of Sun?"

Yami looked up, remembering what Carter had told him the previous night. "It has been mentioned it to me, yes."

"Well," she continued, "at the service this morning, Anthea told me that 'Prophet Dartz' had sent more reinforcements out here. The Village of Sun and the surrounding area is _swarming_ with soldiers and Dartz's henchmen right now, looking for _us_."

"We can take them," Yami insisted. "We have to."

"No, we _can't_ take them," Téa argued. "You do remember what happened last time, don't you?"

Yami inhaled sharply. "I… haven't forgotten."

"Dakotah almost _killed_ you, and—"

"I _said_ I remember," Yami snapped through clenched teeth.

"Then you know why we can't just charge into enemy territory," she bit back. "We'd lose."

"We'd win," Yami countered.

"Oh?" Téa challenged. "Does that mean you are confident that Timaeus will help you again? Are you telling me that the Seal of Orichalcos is out of your heart… for good?"

"Yes," he affirmed.

She raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Really? Swear it to me then. Show me that you're absolutely certain the Seal will not influence you again, and that we _won't_ have a repeat of your duel with Weevil, or the Village of Sun. If you can convince me, then I'll show you where the Puzzle is, and we can leave tonight." She pressed her lips together. "Just… remember that I'd be putting my full trust in you, and if we lose, we're both as good as dead. Not to mention what happens _after_ that. Keep in mind what you're risking in this gamble."

Yami's eyes wandered to the wall beside him, his features tensed in doubt. It was uncanny, how well Téa could see right through him. "Then we just stay here?" he asked, "and hide while they're beating you into submission?"

She cringed, then shook it off. "We have no choice. At least until we figure out an escape plan…" she trailed off.

Yami observed her expression change. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Téa cleared her throat. "It's Anthea."

"What about her?"

"She brought us here," she explained, "therefore, she recruited us, technically. Think about what would happen if they found out you're the one they're after."

"She didn't do anything wrong," Yami defended.

"It's not what she did, it's what she _didn't_ do," argued Téa. "She recruited us fully knowing who you are, remember?"

Yami paused to think, and looked up as the pieces came together. "She didn't turn me in."

"Exactly," Téa replied. "She took a huge risk telling us what she did." She held out her left arm again. "If _this_ is just for being out past curfew, can you imagine what the punishment is for being complicit in the 'Nameless Pharaoh' eluding the Leviathan's judgement?"

"The Leviathan's judgement?" Yami echoed. He looked at her, his brow cinching in the middle. "Téa… you're starting to sound like you…" his breath hitched, "…like you believe what they say about me."

"I don't," Téa denied.

"You _can't_ ," he insisted, taking a step back. "You can't believe them, Téa, they're deceiving you—"

"I already said I don't," she assured. "I'm just saying that's how they see it."

"They are _liars_!" he whispered harshly, causing Téa to hold up her hand to calm him. "You can't ever believe them, you can't believe the lies they're telling you—"

"Stop it," Téa ordered, and Yami froze in his panic. "Sit down and get ahold of yourself, _please_. Let's not go down this road again."

After a tense few moments, Yami complied. He closed his eyes and calmed his breathing. When he opened his eyes again, Téa was beside him, watching him worriedly. "Yami… do _you_ believe them?"

"Of course not," he answered weakly, averting his gaze away from hers. When Téa didn't respond, he admitted, "I just… can't disprove it." He stared blankly ahead of him, and shook his head. "I have nothing."

"You have your heart," Téa offered, "and all the good things you've done with it."

"It's not enough," Yami argued.

"You have the promise you made to me," she added, "at the river. You swore you'd take my word for it. What good is the promise if you're not going to keep it?"

"Téa…" Yami sighed. His chest tightened just thinking of his next words. "Do you remember the escaped prisoner, at the restaurant you worked in?"

She reared back in surprise. "Oh, you mean the one who blindfolded me and held a gun to my head? Yeah, I remember him. What about him?"

"Well… do you know what happened to him?"

"I heard he was killed in the restaurant," Téa recalled. "But that's all I know."

Yami paused. "So you don't know."

"Obviously I couldn't see anything, but I know that he lost the game you played with him. But aside from that, no. I was hauled out of the area before I could see anything. I just assumed he was killed while the police were trying to get him into custody or something."

 _In the darkness of her blindfold, Téa felt a hand tug her own, and heard a smooth voice in her ear beckoning her. "Come with me, Téa."_

 _It was strange. Now that she could hear it so closely, the voice almost sounded like Yugi's, and yet... it resonated differently, and carried such edge and confidence that she hadn't heard before. Something about it comforted her, tempered her fears, made her feel safe._

 _As Téa was ushered away, the hand that held hers vanished. She took off her blindfold, and her eyes were assaulted by the brightness of the sun. The police and paramedics had already arrived, some of which were coming to her aid. Someone draped a blanket over her shoulders. Things were happening so fast around her, moving in indiscernible blurs and muffled voices. She could've been shot in the head today. That was enough for her mind to process for the moment._

 _But, that voice..._

 _Tearing through her muddled thoughts was a shrill scream from inside. Next thing she knew, someone was urgently pulling her away from the restaurant. She turned and looked back to see if she could locate her savior, and was astonished to find little Yugi standing on the cement sidewalk, staring back at her, dazed as if he was just pulled out of a dream._

 _She just didn't understand._

Yami let his head drop in his hands for a moment, and rubbed at his eyes. "Téa… before I tell you, you have to understand… I had to save you. I had to get you away from him, and make him unable to harm you ever again."

Téa's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying…?"

"I'm saying I did what I had to do," Yami explained. "In our game, I played him into a corner. He couldn't kill me without dealing himself a terrible fate, and… his cheating ways did the work for me."

"So if I'm remembering things correctly," Téa began thoughtfully, "your game involved a lighter, cigarette, and alcohol. The object of the game was to find a way to kill each other, with one finger. You had him cornered. Then, he must've…" she paused to put the pieces together, and her jaw dropped.

Yami said nothing, but his lack of response was all the confirmation Téa needed. She stared blankly at the wall opposite her, and cupped her nose and mouth in both her hands as the disturbing truth sank in.

"Oh… no…" she murmured into her hands, horrified.

"And now, I invite you to reconsider everything you think of me," said Yami, "and you were right. I was not able to make you that promise to begin with, not while withholding this information from you. I'm sorry."

Téa dropped her hands, but kept her eyes forward. "I thought the game was just a diversion."

"It was supposed to be only that."

"Who else?" she asked between shuddering breaths. "Who else have you killed?"

The accusatory question felt like a stab to Yami's chest. "No one," he asserted. "The prisoner was the only one who perished because of me."

"Are you sure?" Téa asked skeptically.

He nodded. "Yes."

She gripped her knees with her hands, and rocked backward slightly. "What did you do to Kokurano?"

"I also played a game with him for your freedom, in which he cheated, and lost." He remembered how long he had stared at the chloroform bottle shattered on the floor besides an unconscious Kokurano, imagining himself dragging a shard of it across the con's neck, before he had come to his senses. "He was subjected to the same chloroform he used on you. I left him sleeping on the floor, unharmed. He was found the following morning, and was exposed as the fraud, and criminal, he was."

"And you saved me," she confirmed.

He nodded again. "I carried you away from the science lab until you started to wake up, and then I left you on the bench outside the main office."

"That would explain me waking up there, with no one around," Téa recollected. She looked at him, lowering her brow. "I don't understand. Why did Kokurano get to live, while the convict had to die?"

"Because, at that point, I realized that your safety was more important than vengeance," Yami answered honestly. "While I didn't directly kill Prisoner 777, I was complicit in his death." He turned his head slightly away from Téa's attentive gaze. "Because I knew what would likely happen, I could've saved him. But if he had decided to kill me anyway, you'd be in even more danger. So, in that moment I decided, instead, to let him die." His eyes flickered to the wall. "With Kokurano… the opposite happened. If I simply did nothing, he would live. It would've been easy to kill him, and make sure he never harmed you or anyone else again. But… getting you out of danger was the priority."

"Geez," Téa breathed in wonder. "All this time, I had no idea that the man I saw as my savior was capable of all this."

"And now you know the truth," Yami muttered solemnly. "If I'm capable of all this, who's to say I didn't rule with such cruelty when I was pharaoh? How can I deny their claims that I was an evil king, while I have blood on my hands?"

Téa opened her mouth, but couldn't produce a response in her shock. Still unable to look her in the eye, Yami stood once more, and walked forward a few paces, briefly crossing the beam of moonlight before stepping back into the shadows. He kept his back to her.

"Make no mistake. We are getting out of here, one way or another. Because, like you've said, I am the only one equipped to face Dartz in battle and get Yugi's soul back, therefore his restoration is my responsibility. Whether or not my past is tainted with nefarious actions… I cannot let it get in the way of Yugi living the full life he deserves, the life that was his—and _only_ his—to begin with."

He sighed, and shook his head. "But I will not move forward pretending to be some champion of honor I once pretended to be. Simply deciding that your life is worthier to live than someone else's doesn't make me a hero."

Yami looked up to stare at his shadow stretching along the closet doors. It reached up to the ceiling, lanky and slightly curved in on itself; the silhouetted spikes of his hair and bangs spanned out like a flaming sun.

"Please say something."

Téa stammered upon the sudden request. Finally, she found her voice. "Honestly, I have no idea what to say." Her hands fidgeted in her lap. "What do you want me to say?"

Yami took a long breath. "I want you to say that you were wrong about me all along. You no longer see me as your savior, and your feelings for me are buried for good."

Téa held her tongue, and the silence between them stretched into almost half a minute before Yami fully turned to face her. "Say it," he commanded.

* * *

In matching teal-green robes, Gale and young Kelley made their way down the long corridor of the dorm's third floor, followed by three guards. "I think it was that room, right there," Kelley whispered to Gale, pointing about two doors ahead.

"And you're sure that's what you heard?" Gale inquired.

"Yes, I definitely heard a male's voice in her room," she confirmed.

Gale shook her head. "The Great One will not be pleased." She patted Kelley on her shoulder. "Go off to bed, dear. We will deal with this."

Kelley bowed in prayer and whispered "we shall begin anew" before turning around and heading down the hall to her room. Gale pushed her long gray hair, worn down rather than the usual tight bun, behind her shoulders. She came up to room 36 and leaned in to listen, picking up soft murmurs of conversation on the other side, indeed what Kelley had reported to her earlier: a quarrelsome exchange between a young man and woman, on the woman-only floor, well past acceptable hour.

"Say it," said the man.

"I can't," responded the woman.

"Just do it, get it over with. I need to hear you say those words."

"You know me. You know I don't say things I don't mean."

"Why? Why wouldn't you mean it?"

The woman grunted in frustration. "Because… I still have a lot to process, okay? This is all new information for me. I don't really know what to say, or even _think_ yet."

"If you're as self-possessed as I know you are, then this should be simple for you."

"It's _because_ I'm so self-possessed is why I can't tell you what you want to hear." There was a pause, and a long, exasperated sigh. "I think you should leave."

* * *

"Téa…"

"Please," Téa implored, anxiously grasping her own left forearm again, "don't force me to say something I don't want to. I've already had enough of that. Just… just leave."

Yami watched sadly as Téa sat upon the bed, her posture withdrawn. Her supposed 'discipline' was far from the worst physical harm she had endured, but nothing seemed to tear at her spirit quite like it appeared to have done.

"I'm sorry," he said sorrowfully. "Just… don't forget what you've heard tonight. You will come to resent me, even hate me for what I've done. When that moment comes, don't be surprised when I accept it in full."

Téa looked up at him, her blue eyes burning into his. Her lips sank into a disappointed frown, and she shook her head in disbelief. "After all this time… you haven't learned a damn thing, have you?"

Yami gulped, having no proper response to offer. Instead, he retreated to the door, and opened it to come face-to-face with Gale's folded arms.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Yami demanded as he struggled rebelliously against the two guards restraining his arms. A third guard stood beside Gale in the back room of the sanctuary, holding a thin rattan cane in his hands.

With a friendly smile, Gale seated herself behind the long oak desk. "Gentlemen, let him have a seat, please."

The men forced Yami into the chair facing the desk, and released him. When Yami tried to stand, they leapt forward and pushed him back down with a firm hand on each shoulder. Yami grunted as one of the man's fingertips dug into his flesh through his thin shirt.

"Let me go!" he ordered. He received no verbal response from either guard. They tentatively let go of his shoulders, but remained closer to him than before.

"Yugi," Gale addressed him calmly. "just relax. We're not here to hurt you. We have something important to discuss."

"Why the force, then?" Yami demanded. "Why am I being held here against my will?"

Gale shrugged. "It's just protocol."

Yami scoffed. " _Protocol_? I was just dragged here in the middle of the night, and you're being awfully cavalier about it."

Gale's smile fell slightly, and she folded her hands on the desk. "Young man, in the outside world you may be used to doing as you please. It's unsurprising, really, when you look at how far the world has sunken into a cesspool of sin." She tapped her finger on the desk. "But while you are sleeping under our roof, eating our food and wearing our clothes, you are under the law of the Great One. Now, I understand you are new, and unfamiliar with how things are run around here. For that, I will grant you some reprieve. But you must cooperate, if you are to learn. It is so that we may protect you from His wrath."

"Protect me? It seems that all you're doing is a graduated form of bullying. I, for one, will not be bullied for _any_ reason, and I will not allow you to bully Téa, either."

To his surprise, the response he received was a short laugh. "My goodness, you are tenacious, aren't you?" Gale paused to swipe flyaway strands of silver hair from her forehead. "Yugi, how old are you?"

Yami's eyes narrowed at the unexpected question. "Sixteen. Why?"

Gale nodded. "Ah, that explains a lot."

"About what? Where is Téa?"

Gale's eyes seemed to brighten up. "Right. Yes. Let's talk about Téa."

"Where is she?" Yami interrogated again.

"She's fine. She's just outside, and she can't hear you. So you can be as truthful as you want."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Gale smirked at him. "You're at that age now. A wonderful age, but a confusing one, that is for sure."

Yami crossed his arms. "I fail to see the point in this."

"Do you like girls, Yugi?"

His eyes widened, and he felt his neck and ears grow warm. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"No need to be embarrassed. Like I said, you're at that age."

"I…" he stuttered. "I-I guess so? I don't know."

Gale propped her chin on her hand. "Yugi, what were you doing in Téa's room?"

Yami's breath caught. "We were just talking."

Gale raised an eyebrow. "Just talking, huh?"

"Yes. We're friends."

She scrunched her nose. "I know for a fact you've been told that the Great One strictly forbids an unmarried man and woman to share a bed, friends or not. And you shouldn't even be out of _your_ bed past curfew. And yet, we received a report that you were in Téa's room, unsupervised, at half past midnight."

"A report? Who reported us?"

"A concerned member of the church," Gale answered vaguely. "Who it was doesn't matter. I can confirm it with my own two eyes." She held her hands out in an expectant manner. "Care to explain yourself?"

Yami glared at her. "No, I don't. Not until you do."

In the next instant, Yami's shoulder was again squeezed tightly by the enormous hand of the guard on his right, and he groaned in pain. He reached for the offending hand, but it only tightened on him like a vice.

"Show some respect when speaking to her!" the guard growled angrily.

"Easy, Rob," Gale warned with her hand held up, and the guard gradually eased his grip. "He's new, and he's learning. Let's not end the night in the infirmary."

The guard named Rob backed away a pace, and Yami rolled his shoulder, grimacing.

"Alright, Yugi, I'm willing to compromise." She laced her fingers together on the desk. "When responding to the report, I first suspected some 'midnight mischief' to be happening, if you know what I mean. Teenagers are the most vulnerable to such temptations, after all."

Yami turned his face away, unable to stop the incoming blush. Though Gale's deduction was far from the actual truth, just the idea of it, even hypothetically, stirred something inside him. He'd be dishonest if he said that, ever since their undressed liplock in the river, the thought hadn't crossed his mind once or twice…

"But I overheard some of your conversation with Téa. And what I heard was… concerning."

Mentally, Yami began to panic, and his heartbeat picked up pace. If she had heard the wrong thing, wouldn't he be getting his soul extracted by now?

"Again, you're at that age where you're trying to figure yourself out, and your wild hormones aren't making things any easier. We've all been there." Her smile turned sly. "And, if I may, you certainly have great taste. She is very beautiful, and smart, and kind. And I'm sure she is a talented dancer, as well. No one can really blame you." The smile fell away. "But, your actions not only break our rules, but infringe upon Téa's right to personal safety within our walls."

Yami furrowed his brow. "What do you mean? What exactly did you hear?"

"I heard enough." Gale splayed her hands flat on the desk, and leaned a bit closer to Yami. "It is my understanding that Téa does not return your feelings in the way you want her to."

Yami blinked. "What?"

"I promise you, Yugi, denial will not fool me, and, more importantly, it certainly won't fool our Savior. I dislike meddling in other people's personal business, but more than that, I am a dedicated servant to the Great One. We are all beholden to the law of our omniscient, omnipotent Serpent God, and it is my duty to enforce it."

"This is ridiculous."

She tapped her chin. "I distinctly remember there being something you were trying to have her say out loud to you. I didn't hear what it was exactly, but context is hardly needed to infer what it might've been."

"What do you think I was trying to have her say?"

Gale tilted her head. "It's all but spelled out. You were seeking a confession from her, that she returned your feelings. Feelings she doesn't have, from what it sounded like."

He shook his head. "You have it all wrong."

Gale leaned back in her chair, and brought her hand under her chin. "Oh? Enlighten me, then. What am I misunderstanding? What crucial detail am I missing that exonerates you?"

Yami opened his mouth, but shut it when he realized he had no defense. For obvious reasons, he couldn't admit the true nature of their conversation, and Gale's watchful gaze was unrelenting. Instead, he simply stated, "It's just not what you think."

For a moment, the air hung thick with suspense while Gale glanced at the wall beside her and contemplated his answer. For a moment, she looked indecisive, as if looking for a reason to give him the benefit of the doubt. Finally, she stood, and looked down upon him in disappointment. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's not good enough. In light of your inability to provide a proper explanation for your actions, you and Téa will be receiving due punishment as according to His law." She put her hands on her hips. "If you were paying any attention to the passage _you_ read at our service this morning, you know what happens to those who spit in the face of our Savior. Don't make the same mistakes the most infamous sinner of mankind made, Yugi. It doesn't suit you."

She looked at Rob and the other guard. "Have Charles bring her in, please."

"Wait!" Yami shouted, rising to his feet. He braced himself for the guards to jump him again, but they instead stood by at the ready. He took a deep breath.

"You were right," he capitulated. "I came to Téa's room, without warning or permission. I told her how I felt, and she turned me down. She then asked me to leave, as you heard. This is all my fault. Téa is completely innocent."

Gale raised her eyebrows. "Ah, the truth comes out."

Yami sighed. "Yes. Now let her go. I've put her through enough already."

She touched his sore shoulder, causing him to flinch. "Don't worry, we'll make this quick. It's touching, how much you care about her. You are a fine young man, and you have your whole life ahead of you, in our glorious New World, to date pretty girls. After the Holy Cleansing, there will only be girls with kind and pure souls to choose from. If you think about it, our Great God Leviathan is doing you a favor by weeding out the bad ones!" She humored herself with a laugh, and turned to the guards. "Bring her in."

"What?" Yami questioned as the guards nodded and headed towards the door. "I thought you were going to release her!"

"I will," Gale assured him, "after she corroborates your story."

A fourth guard brought in Téa. Like all the other guards Yami had seen, Charles was a large, well-built man in a long-sleeved black shirt and dark green pants, with an Orichalcos emblem on his belt buckle. Unlike Yami, Téa opted to come quietly, held only by one arm in a lax grip. Her blue eyes stared blankly at the floor ahead of her. Gale stepped forward and regarded her with a gentle voice. "Téa, you're here right now because we need you to verify something for us, okay? Can you do that?"

Slowly, but surely, Téa brought her head down to nod.

"Can you tell us why Yugi was in your room tonight, unsupervised, and so late?"

Téa's lip quivered in hesitation. Gale reached over to tuck a lock of hair behind Téa ear. To Yami, the interaction almost resembled a grandmother consoling her crestfallen granddaughter, if not for the insidious context.

"It's alright, dear, you're not in trouble, as long as you tell the truth, God Leviathan as your witness."

Téa looked up, and her blue eyes found Yami's. Their gazes locked, and Yami knew she was reading him. "Well, he came to my room, and we were talking…" she began. "And… then he left. I'm sorry, I know it was late, but he needed to tell me something urgent, and I—"

"Don't _defend_ me, Téa," Yami told her sternly. He stared intently at her, hoping she'd get the message. "Tell them the _truth_. It's alright."

"Remember that the Great One is always listening," Gale reminded her, "and always judging."

After a moment, Téa's eyes hardened, and her jaw tightened. "He didn't tell me he was coming. I asked him to leave, and he was about to when you were outside the door."

"And what did he come to your room to tell you, exactly?"

She paused, and rubbed her arm nervously. "Well… he… um…"

Yami turned to Gale. "Gale, please, this is…" he glanced at Téa with the corner of his eye, "… _embarrassing_ enough for me as it is. Don't make me hear it from her, not again."

Gale shook her head. "Sorry Yugi, but this is a necessary part of this. I know it's uncomfortable for you, but try to learn from it." She gestured to Téa. "Go on, dear. Tell us what happened."

Téa took a deep breath. "He told me… that he wanted to be with me," she finally responded, her voice breaking slightly. "And he was convinced that I felt the same way. He wanted me to admit it to him, but I couldn't. Then, I told him to leave."

"And that is the truth?"

She looked at Gale. "Yes."

Gale nodded her head. "Charles, please escort Téa back to her room." With nimble fingers, she plucked and discarded a few loose strands of hair that had fallen and clung to Téa's robe. "And Téa, don't worry about any of this. We will deal with this accordingly, and Yugi will not bother you again. Try to sleep… and if you can't, try counting ballerinas, okay?"

As the guard named Charles opened the door and gently ushered her out of the room, Téa turned back to look regretfully at him one more time. "Yugi…"

Yami mirrored her look, with earnest apology in his eyes. "Téa… please forgive me. But if you can't, I understand."

Téa maintained eye contact with him, until she was forced to break it as she was led out of the room. Charles closed the door behind them, and Yami was left with Gale and the remaining three guards.

Gale sighed. "Poor girl. I do hope she gets a good night's rest tonight."

"You had her beaten," Yami reminded her with venom in his tone, "simply for being out of her room past curfew. How can you say, with any sincerity, that you give a damn about her?"

"You must understand, Yugi," she coolly replied, "it's _because_ I'm concerned for her that she needed to be corrected. As unpleasant as it is, we've found that corporal punishment is the most effective method in enforcing the Great One's law, and guiding His children to righteousness." She motioned to the door. "And I think it works quite nicely. Didn't you see how polite and cooperative she was?"

"That is horrible!" Yami criticized, furious at their treatment of Téa. "You cannot govern people by bullying them into submission. If your so-called 'god' is only great because his people follow him under threat of violence, then he is not a true god!"

The second the words left his mouth, Yami was seized by the throat and shoved into the wall behind him with such force, the impact sent a tremor through his bones. The guard, who had been standing opposite Rob, tightened his thick fingers around Yami's neck, causing him to claw at his hand as his airways were constricted.

"That's enough out of you," Gale reprimanded sternly. She watched passively as Yami struggled against the guard's grasp. "Yugi, you're a great kid, but you can be quite volatile. I know you might still be shaken from the incident tonight with Téa, but you must always show respect for the Great One, the True Arbiter of Justice, for He is always listening and always judging. He is here to save us, after all, and so He deserves our utmost respect, for it is His wisdom that will lead us into a prosperous new era."

"Better watch your words, runt," the guard holding Yami snarled. "The Great One doesn't like rude little snots like you, and neither do I."

"Clark," Gale warned, "easy. Speaking of volatile… you and Rob could use a lesson on it as well."

With a dissatisfied grunt, the guard named Clark released Yami, who gasped and grabbed his throat in relief, his face flushed.

"It's getting late," Gale continued with a noticeably wearier voice. "The Great One shall give you the same treatment as Téa—first timers receive half punishment, but beyond tonight, you will receive all future punishments in full." She nodded towards the guard at the desk behind her, who held the cane, and the guard stepped forward. "Between being out of your quarters past curfew, pre-marital cohabitation, harassing another member of the community, non-compliance in an official interrogation, and lastly, multiple counts of blasphemy… you've racked up quite a rap sheet in such little time."

"None of those things warrant your abhorrent policy of penalization," Yami panted.

Gale continued as if she didn't hear him. "Normally, these transgressions would accrue a hundred strokes, but today, it will be fifty. As you receive them, you will beg forgiveness from the Great One, or it will only continue from there."

The guard holding the cane stepped forward, and Yami saw that he was even bigger than the others—the giant of a man was built like a lineman and couldn't have been less than six and a half feet tall. With a massive hand, he grabbed Yami's left arm by the wrist. Yami tried to resist, but the guard's hold was too strong—his thumb was almost half the width of his wrist. Another guard's long, muscular arm reach around him from behind and restrain him against a large, hard chest. His right arm was held and pinned painfully against his back. Yami continued to struggle, but between the two much larger men, he was easily overpowered.

"You will accept your punishment with an open and honest heart," Gale instructed, hardly blinking at the scene before her. "The pain you feel is the sin leaving your body. Embrace it, for He is cleansing your soul." Looking satisfied, she yawned into her hand and headed for the door. "This is for your own good, Yugi," she told him. "Soon you will see the light, and you will thank us."

"Where are _you_ going?" Yami demanded, as the guard twisted his left wrist so that the inside of his forearm was facing up.

"To bed," Gale answered simply, and left the room.

Yami scowled after her, but his attention was quickly taken by the guard holding his arm. "Now we get to fix that rude mouth of yours," Rob said with a twist of a grin on the corner of his mouth. "Time to beg forgiveness from the Great One, kid."

"I don't beg," Yami refused.

"Well, you're begging tonight," insisted Rob. There was a sick humor to his tone that wasn't there before. Their mannerisms seemed to change significantly as soon as Gale left.

"Fuck you," Yami spat, surprised at his own vulgarity.

The cane came down on his arm with the velocity of a whip, making a horrible _thwacking_ sound on his skin and striking a thin red line a few inches below his wrist. Yami flinched from the unexpected attack. He groaned in pain as the sting worsened, and could feel his own accelerating pulse pumping against the pressure of the guard's thumb on his wrist.

 _I stained my lips with foul words, which the Great One does not approve of. He is always watching, always judging._

"Defiant _and_ potty-mouthed?" Clark jeered as the silent guard brandished the cane. "You're in for a world of hurt, kid."

"A world of hurt is exactly what you're trying to impose, is it not?" Yami questioned, "Isn't that what Church Leviathan endeavors to do?"

Rob suddenly burst into laughter from beside him. "Ha! It's been a minute since we've gotten one of these."

"Alright, alright," Clark chided from behind Yami with a chuckle, "quit messin' around, let's get this over with. Alec, do the honors?"

Suddenly, the quiet guard spoke up for the first time—unlike the other two, the guard named Alec spoke dryly with a more serious tone, without a hint of humor. "For your crimes, you must beg forgiveness from the Great One. If your soul can be cleansed, He will be merciful. You must show remorse for your sins to achieve true atonement. Open your heart to the Great One, and show Him your devotion." His voice was low and gruff, reminding Yami somewhat of the aptly-voiced Catapult Turtle in his dream. Pulling Yami's arm closer to him, Alec struck his arm again, this time closer to his elbow. Yami grit his teeth to contain the pain.

"Beg," ordered Alec.

Yami held his tongue, bracing himself for the next strike, which came moments after. The flesh was already starting to swell. Again, and again, the cane struck him in a metronomic rhythm, sometimes in the same spot as another. The pain intensified as his punishment continued, provoking him to struggle against his restraints.

"Beg."

"No!"

 _Thwack!_

"Beg forgiveness!"

"Never!"

 _Thwack!_

"This one's a fighter!" said Rob, who was spectating with an amused grin as if he were at a professional wrestling match.

"Yeah," agreed Clark with a strained voice, tasked with keeping Yami contained. "He's givin' me a real workout, here."

Rob cracked his knuckles. "Here, I'll help you out. Alec, step back for a sec, wouldja?"

Alec lowered his weapon, and stepped off to the side. Rob came forward and, with a smirk, threw a strong punch into Yami's stomach. Yami wheezed from the blow, almost ready to heave from the impact, and his knees buckled. Clark and Alec had to hold him up by his arms.

 _If you really_ were _a great Pharaoh, you would've never done that to poor Yugi! It just isn't fair! It should've been you, not him!_

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Rob jabbed. "You gonna start beggin' or what?"

Yami coughed from the impact, struggling to support himself again. "You're nothing but a bunch of bullies," he accused, his voice weak and winded. He raised his head, still gasping for breath, and stared at Rob with all the contempt he could muster. "Go to hell."

Rob nudged a stony-faced Alec with his elbow. "Getta load of this guy!"

Clark snickered from behind Yami. "What is he, one of those 'social justice warrior' types? Do we get to smack him for that, too?"

Rob shook his head in the middle of a chuckle. "Look, kid, I was bullied in school, okay? Bullies… they're just big kids pickin' on little kids. The innocent ones who don't fight back. They're angry, insecure, and selfish." He stepped closer to Yami, looking down on him from almost a foot of additional height. "This is the real world, not a playground. We ain't bullies, and you ain't innocent."

"Then what do you call yourselves, if not bullies?" Yami asked with disdain.

This time, Alec spoke up, his expression still stoic. "We serve the Great One, our God Leviathan, the Arbiter of Justice. We are enforcers of His law, protectors of His children, and guardians of His New World."

"So basically, we're almost like cops," Rob clarified simplistically, "'cept we ain't crooked. We're actually here to protect you. 'S long as you don't give us trouble."

"On the contrary," Yami countered, "I find your methods of 'enforcement' quite crooked."

Rob sighed. His smile remained, but he sounded exasperated. "You are one stubborn dude. You've got balls, though, I'll give you that."

With that, he reared back, and swung at Yami's face, clipping his lower lip with his fist.

 _Get a grip, Pharaoh! If we're gonna rescue Yugi, we have to move ahead, not look back!_

Rob continued while Yami reeled from the assault, "But my job is to make a faithful servant of the God Leviathan outta you, so you're gonna have to show a little humility and start asking forgiveness from Him."

Yami glared silently at Rob. Alec stretched his left arm out again, cane at the ready. "I have plenty of things to ask forgiveness for," Yami growled bitterly. As he spoke, he felt blood trickle down his chin from his swollen lip. "but none of them concern you, or the Leviathan. He is no God to me."

"That's enough!" Alec snapped out of nowhere, and smacked the cane onto Yami's arm again. Yami cried out in pain—his arm was on fire from the repeated assaults, and he could feel Alec's vindictiveness in his strike.

"Easy there, Alec," Rob cautioned, with his hand up. "We still got about eight strokes to go. We don't want his arm to fall off, eh?"

"I refuse to hear this man denounce my Savior in such a way!" Alec shouted, whacking Yami's arm again.

"Dude, Alec," said Clark, "you gotta relax, man. He's new, he'll learn eventually. The Great One wouldn't like you gettin' all heated up on someone on His behalf like that, you know that."

"Why don't you cool off for a sec, bud," Rob suggested. "I think I can help everyone out here tonight, even this little firecracker."

Still working down his blood pressure, Alec nodded, though he didn't seem pleased about it. He released Yami's arm to Clark, and stepped back behind the desk. Rob looked upon Yami's face with softened features.

"Look, man, I'm going to be honest with you right now. I know your type. I _was_ your type, once. It doesn't matter if we beat you into dust—if you aren't willing to open your heart up to our Savior, we can't force you. But while you're here, there are rules you should follow, whether or not you're buyin' what we're sellin'. Understand?"

Yami lowered his brow. "No, I don't."

"If you can't find it within yourself to open your heart to the Great One, open it to _someone_ ," he suggested. "Start a dialogue with them, right here, right now. Bring all that regret to the surface. That'll help you get to the place you need to get to. You mentioned you have other people you want to ask forgiveness from, right?"

Yami stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alec step forward from behind the desk, cane in hand. All eyes were on him.

Yami took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind of all thoughts but the one. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"What was that?" asked Rob, craning his ear.

"I'm sorry," Yami repeated, his voice croaking. "You saved me. You loved me. You showed me the light. And I betrayed you."

Clark tightened his grip on him. "There we go. Keep going, buddy."

"I turned my back on you."

Alec raised the cane and struck him again, this time a bit softer. "Continue," he ordered pitilessly.

Yami bit his lip. "I was selfish and careless. You were wise, and I was a fool."

 _Thwack!_

"My soul is dark… rotten… corrupt."

 _Thwack!_

"All I ever wanted was to please you, to make you happy and proud. To make your wish come true."

 _Thwack!_

"I failed you."

 _Thwack!_

"I don't deserve you."

 _Thwack!_

"Please, forgive me!"

 _Thwack!_

"I beg your forgiveness!"

 _Thwack!_

The pain grew worse as seconds passed—Yami's forearm looked as if it were compromised to a sinister disease, with red lines streaking over flushed, swollen, flaking skin. Against his wishes, tears began to form in his eyes, and he had no free hands to wipe them away.

"One more," Rob encouraged, with what appeared to be a look of sympathy on his face.

A tear fell from Yami's eye, running over the slit on his trembling lip. He inhaled a shaky breath. "Please, forgive me… my savior."

The cane struck one last time, and somehow Yami could hardly feel it at all. His arm felt numb. _Everything_ felt numb.

Clark released him, and he collapsed onto one knee, with his non-injured arm holding him up from the floor. As he stared at the off-white tile, his head started to spin. With his other hand, he wiped the blood from his mouth and chin. Alec tossed the cane onto the desk, and stood over Yami, towering over his crumpled frame. "The Great God Leviathan is the True Arbiter of Justice, the Savior of the World. You have atoned, and He has shown you mercy."

The room fell silent, save for Yami's short gasps. He glanced up at Alec—the man stared coldly back at him, as if his anger at Yami's defiance had carried over. His head blocked the light of the lamp behind him, silhouetting his head, and Yami thought he caught a streak of red flash across his eyes, but it was gone before he could be sure.

Yami felt Clark pull him up by his injured arm, and he winced from the tenderness it caused. He then felt something cold placed in his hand—an ice pack, fresh from a freezing unit, wrapped in a thin green towel. From where it came, he had no idea.

"That'll help with the sting," Rob told him. "And it'll bring down the swelling on your face, too. Sorry I had to do that, man. It ain't fun for me. It's just protocol."

Yami narrowed his eyes at him, but kept his mouth shut. Truth be told, it _did_ look fun for him. When caught up in the moment, the guards looked every bit like the number of bullies who had targeted Yugi in school, who found his small size and submissive personality amusing. The laughter and taunting was just as much a part of it as the extortion itself. While Yugi had dealt with this cruelty on a daily basis, this was the first time in Yami's recent memory that _he_ had been subjected to such treatment, made more serious by the lack of protection from his Millennium Puzzle. He'd never admit it aloud to these men, but it _rattled_ him. It somehow reached down, deep into his core, and struck him cold. How Yugi had endured so much of it was beyond him.

Rob looked back at him, a small smirk on his lips. "You got somethin' to say?"

Yami scowled, a biting response waiting on his tongue. Normally, he'd whip out his dueling deck and issue a challenge, more than ready to take the wind out of his antagonist's sails. But, without the Puzzle, his deck, his duel disk, his _partner_ … he was unarmed, powerless. Even if he had all he needed, the possibility of another unfavorable outcome, whether he won or lost, was too much for him to face. Even his confidence in his _dueling_ abilities had faltered, after Rafael had outmaneuvered him so skillfully, and even Weevil had him on the ropes. He truly had nothing left to fight with, and no manner of defense, either.

So, instead, he said nothing.

Rob nodded in satisfaction. "That's what I thought. Alec will escort you back to your room." Behind him, Alec pulled the door open. Rob placed a closed fist over his own heart, and Clark followed suit. "We shall begin anew."

Holding the ice pack to his arm, Yami wordlessly exited the room, with Alec pulling the door shut behind them. They crossed the courtyard to the dorm facility, past the water-swishing fountain sculpted into the Leviathan's likeness, illuminated by the lighted fountain ring and standing luminously against the dark night sky. Just looking upon it made Yami sick to his stomach. His senses stirred again, and he wondered if there really _was_ a serpent deity watching him, lording over him as his 'prophet' surely was.

 _We shall begin anew…_

Yami shook his head. He couldn't give these fanatical notions an ounce of credence in his mind. That was how decent people came to believe horrible things.

The skin on his arm burned and itched from the cold towel, but nothing compared to the ferocious pain in his heart. While his body received the physical trauma, his pride was crushed underfoot. For all his preaching about confronting problems face to face, he _still_ had lost the battle, and had nothing to show for it. Never had he felt so empty, so stripped of dignity, so crushed in spirit.

At least… not since he lost Yugi.

Perhaps, he relied on the Puzzle far more than he realized. Hiding his identity as a pharaoh suddenly became a bit easier. He couldn't possibly feel _less_ like a king than he did now.

At that point, he understood Téa's behavior. He understood _everything_.

[ 01 ]

[ 02 ]

[ 03 ]

Alec broke the silence that had lasted the entire walk, causing Yami to flinch. "You are not to leave this room for the rest of the night. If you are caught, you will be punished further."

Yami stared grimly at the doorplate '03'. As he pushed down the handle, he heard Alec turn on his heel to leave. "We shall begin anew."

His hand paused. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he listened to Alec's heavy-gaited footsteps diminish as he walked down the hall and exited the building. With a shaky whisper, Yami responded, "I suppose we shall."

* * *

The room was just as dark as he'd left it, with only the bright green digital clock reading 1:56am emitting light, but now it was also quite cold. The window above his bed was left open, letting a cool draft creep in. Yami placed the ice pack on the nightstand and crawled onto the bed, the box spring creaking under his weight. Standing on the mattress, he reached for the window sash to close it, and froze.

Yami hardly used his window. Earlier that evening was the first time he'd even touched it, and it was because the room was a little stuffy. He hadn't paid enough attention to notice that, just fifteen yards beyond it, was a clear view of the southeastern region of the forest in Shifter's Valley. Standing at the very edge, watching him with a pair of sad violet eyes beneath a fan of spiky hair…

Yami's fingertips brushed the window pane. "Yugi…"

No, it wasn't Yugi. He knew that. But there he stood, looking just as real as the glass beneath his fingers. The forest of Shifter's Valley probed his memory of every detail about his partner he knew, and constructed a perfect replica before his eyes. Everything from his youthful rosy cheeks that would only darken further in embarrassment, to his wide-footed stance that kept his small frame balanced, to the way his pupils dilated briefly when he watched something that held his interest. Even the soft light emanating from them.

"Yugi," he called again, his voice trembling. "If you somehow heard me back there… just know that I meant every word. It was all for you. I'm sorry."

He frowned, his hand falling onto the sill. "No. You weren't listening. You're… you're just a memory."

Overcome with emotion, he pushed the window shut and locked it, securing a seamless barrier between him and the outside world. Through the pane, he watched as the Yugi apparition slowly faded into the abyss of the forest, leaving Yami with only his reflection in the glass. This time, instead of a naked boy glowing from the Orichalcos Seal, or the disapproving stare of his past vigilante persona, he only saw himself as he was, in present reality, slowly falling apart. The effects of stress and undereating had stretched the skin taut over his cheekbones, and they'd lost a bit of color. Dark bags hung under his glossy violet eyes, and his lips were chapped, with the bottom one still puffy from Rob's punch. Though he never cared much about his appearance, he was admittedly surprised at how _damaged_ he looked, like his soul was being slowly sucked out of him, piece by piece.

What exactly did Téa see in him?

If she saw him right at this moment, would she touch his face, thumb his tears away, tell him she's sorry for his suffering? Or would she see him as a cold-blooded murderer, a hideous creature of evil, and then tell him he deserved it?

What would Yugi say, if he saw him now? Would he exhibit his usual compassion, or would he be satisfied that someone had the courage to deal his betrayer the same fate he himself had suffered for far too long?

What would Joey say? Would he pull him to his feet, swipe the dust from his shoulders, and tell him to toughen up and face these bullies like a man? Or would he leave him there, cursing him for getting his best buddy captured?

What would Tristan say? That whoever did this to him was going to pay? Or, it was about time _he_ paid for his actions?

Perhaps he'd be right. Perhaps they'd _all_ be right.

With Yugi gone, his friends were merely associates on a rescue mission. His monsters, reluctant allies, bound by magic but no longer by loyalty. Timaeus… well, Timaeus had proven quite clearly how done he was with his unworthy master.

Perhaps, he had been alone for much longer than he thought.

Yami let his forehead fall against the glass, squeezing his eyes shut. As he reopened them, hot tears ran down his cheeks. There, he wept softly to himself, to the music of the crickets in the grass. One by one, his tears dropped from his chin onto the sill. He removed his hand from the sill, accidentally bumping it on the bed's headboard and causing the scrapes on his arm to flare. He hissed in pain, and lowered himself onto the mattress and reached for the ice pack. As he picked it up, he noticed the two cufflinks sitting beside it on the nightstand, the tiny Orichalcos emblems standing out in the dark under the green glow of the clock.

 _That emblem is a symbol of our allegiance to the Great One and his cause. The last thing you want is for Gale to think you're rebelling or something. Not like you would be doing such a thing! I mean why would you, when He does so much for us?_

Pressing the ice pack to his throbbing wounds, Yami gravely wondered how many battered arms these mandatory cufflinks were concealing, how many spirits have been broken behind closed doors, how much indoctrination was occurring under this draconian nightmare of a justice system. All to cultivate the Leviathan's "prosperous" New World.

There was no doubt in his mind that this was all orchestrated by Dartz. The former Atlantean potentate was proving to be a truly masterful tactician, a calculated puppetmaster, and humankind's most dangerous foe.

And, for all he knew, the sole living witness to his reign as pharaoh.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Ohhhhh boy. They're really being put through the wringer, aren't they?

Don't forget to let me know what you think.

 **Tumblr: atemusluckygal-fanfiction**

xo ALG


	8. INTERLUDE IV

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! My career is taking off! Wheeee! But that means less time for writing =/ Anyway, here's the next interlude. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Vices**  
INTERLUDE IV

 _[Friday night, 8:45pm]_  
 _[1 day, 11hr 15min before Sunday Holy Service]_

"The story of the First Man, the First Woman, and the Serpent," Gale read aloud, dragging her finger across the inked inscription on the page.

"I've already heard this one, Grandma," complained the listener, a young girl tucked in her bed.

"I know, my sweet Anthea," Gale gently replied, adjusting her reading glasses, "but this is the most important one. Now, are you ready to listen?"

Anthea nodded, looking less than pleased. Her tiny hands emerged from the blankets to weave through her long auburn hair.

"The Great One gathered dust from the Earth, and breathed life into it. Borne was the First Man, created in His image, for the Great One was first born a human man. The Great One called him 'Adin'. The Great One provided Adin with a beautiful garden, full of trees with delicious fruit, and He named it the 'Garden of Ophion'. The Great One appointed Adin as Keeper of the Garden of Ophion, and the Father of All Living Things."

Gale flipped the page. Her eyes flickered up to Anthea, who was staring blankly at the duvet covering her feet. She had heard this story many times before, and was likely not listening very attentively.

"Adin was to care for the Garden of Ophion, and the Great One commanded: 'From every tree I have created you are free to eat fruit, except one. You must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of the Curse, for if you eat from it you will surely die, and doom your Children to sin'.

"Adin did as the Great One commanded, but he felt lonely, as there was no living creature quite like his own, and no one to help him tend the Garden and nurture the Land. So, the Great One put Adin into a deep sleep, took one of Adin's ribs, and created the First Woman. The Great One named her Ethel, the Wife of Adin, the Mother of All Living Things.

"Adin and Ethel were faithful to the Great One, but the Great One wanted to test their faith. Unbeknownst to Adin and Ethel, the Great One then assumed the form of the Serpent, thus becoming the Serpent God Leviathan."

"Grandpa told me that the Serpent was Satan," Anthea interjected.

Gale shook her head. "Grandpa got it wrong, dear. Just like everyone else."

"Is that why we left him at home?"

Gale paused. A flash of bitterness crossed her face before a pleasant smile reemerged. She patted her granddaughter's hand. "We don't need to talk about Grandpa anymore. Let's continue with the story."

She resumed her place midway through the page. "The Great One, disguised as the Serpent, spoke to Ethel. He said: 'Ethel, why do you not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of the Curse?'

Ethel then answered: 'Dearest Serpent, I do not eat from that Tree, nor does my husband, for the Great One commands that we do not, for if we do we shall die, and doom our children to sin.'

The Great One then said: 'Dearest Ethel, the Great One has lied to you. For the Tree of Knowledge of the Curse is not a cursed tree with cursed fruit! It is a tree of ultimate power, for when you eat from it, you will gain knowledge of power beyond your Creator.'

Much to the disappointment of the Great One, Ethel fell for His deception, and took fruit from the tree, and bit into it in front of the Serpent. Adin came to her side, and she gave him the fruit, from which he also ate. Because both Adin and Ethel ate from the Tree of Knowledge of the Curse—"

"—from that moment on, they bore the curse for all eternity," Anthea finished with an exasperated sigh, "and doomed their children to sin."

"It's not nice to interrupt," Gale gently scolded.

"Please Grandma," implored Anthea, sinking her head into the pillow. "I've heard this story so many times, I practically have it memorized."

Gale closed the book, 'The Holy Book of Light and Truth', keeping her thumb wedged in the pages to keep the story bookmarked. "Alright, I'll tell you a different story, then. Did I tell you about how I had come to own this book?"

Anthea shook her head.

"This copy," Gale began, pointing to the cover, "of the Holy Book was given to me by Prophet Dartz himself. He showed me the light of the Great One at a critical time."

* * *

 _[Tuesday afternoon, 3:13pm]  
[7 years, 187 days, 16hr 47min before Sunday Holy Service]_

 _After several long hours, the jury had finally reached a verdict. Henry Russel was going to walk free._

 _The public defender was plenty competent and did what he could, but Mr. Russel's million-dollar lawyer was bar none. Technicality after loophole after technicality. Henry's father couldn't allow his college freshman son's incarceration to tarnish his reputation while he was running for state governor. Pay an upgraded fee, and he could save his son and blame the incident the car manufacturer, or even on the irresponsible poor people who got themselves killed. Because he'd be the kind of governor who won't tolerate good, hard-working young men like Henry being blamed for the recklessness of others, and that's why he's the family man who deserves your vote._

 _At least, that's what the tabloids said. It didn't matter which parts of the sensationalism were predicated on truth; new voters and old alike gobbled up their headlines like Thanksgiving turkey._

 _Gale Campbell, a woman who was known for her unyielding confident posture and good manners, staggered out of the courtroom, posture sunken, eyes glossed with failure. She lost, and lost badly. She failed her son and daughter-in-law. She failed Anthea. She failed the world, because the world still had Henry Russel, and no longer a beloved schoolteacher and local musician, parents of a girl of five._

 _Anthea's mother and father deserved justice, but justice couldn't ante up._

 _Someone tapped her shoulder. "Mrs. Campbell… I am so sorry. I couldn't beat him. I failed you." It was the public defender, Lector Lee._

 _Gale swallowed a lump in her throat. Tears rimmed her eyes before she could choke out her words, "go home, Mr. Lee. We've lost. Now I have to go home and tell my orphaned granddaughter the news."_

* * *

"When Mom and Dad went to Heaven, right?" asked Anthea.

"Yes, dear."

* * *

 _Night after night, since the day Liam and Jane Campbell passed away, Gale had prayed alone in the dark, silent sanctuary, begging God for justice. Perhaps the more hours she spent praying, the louder her voice would resound in Heaven. Plea after plea went unanswered. Gale slammed her fist into the pew in unbearable frustration, and sobbed into her hands. She raised her head to cry at the ceiling, "Answer me, please!" The only response she received was her own desperate voice ringing dissonantly in her ears._

" _Oh, Gale, you are so broken…"_

 _Gale jumped. She was supposed to be alone, as it was after hours. Her eyes darted around the dark sanctuary, looking for the owner of the voice._

 _A man appeared at the altar, standing beside the crucifix. He was a strange-looking man, certainly someone Gale had never met. She couldn't decide which feature was most striking—the ghostly pale complexion, the flowing cotton blue hair or the heterochromatic pair of blue and green eyes._

" _Who are you?" Gale demanded._

" _The very person you are destined to meet at this time," answered the man, a small grin on his face._

" _What do you mean? Are you a member of our congregation?"_

" _No," the man denied. "I do not subscribe to false worship. The god I obey is the real God and Savior of this world. For He is the True Arbiter of Justice, and He will eradicate the sinners of the world."_

 _Gale relaxed her shoulders. "Young man, I think you might've been swept away by a cult or a scheme. Can I get you some help? Do you have family I can call?"_

 _The man shook his head. "You are the one who needs the help. For while you pray to your so-called God, a God who has never truly answered you—the real God, the Great One, is swimming beneath the Earth's surface, and in due time He will answer your prayers in the form of divine retribution."_

" _Divine retribution?" Gale inquired._

" _Sinners like the Russels must be revoked of their right to live. Don't you agree?"_

 _Gale's eyes widened in shock. "How do you know about—"_

" _I am a prophet of the Great God Leviathan," the man interjected, "an all-knowing, all-powerful God. He sees all, and through him, I see all."_

 _Gale stuttered in response, "I-I still don't believe this nonsense. If you are admitting to me that you are or are planning on engaging in illegal activity, I will have no choice but to contact the police."_

 _The man gently shook his head. "There is no need."_

" _No one deserves death, not even the Russels. God has taught me to forgive those who have wronged me."_

" _To forgive the man who killed your son and his wife," the man mused, "leaving their five-year-old child without parents. All the while, Trevor Russel is actively seeking more power. Interesting."_

" _Henry will be punished accordingly by the criminal justice system," Gale returned with feigned confidence. "And, after that, he and his father will be judged by God."_

" _For a woman with such steadfast faith, you are wasting it on an ongoing trial in a flawed system. Why not place your faith in a God who cannot be bribed, coerced, or fooled? Who will actually answer your prayers, and give Liam and Jane the justice they deserve?"_

 _Gale boldly stepped forward. "Young man, I do not know how you got in here, but you must leave. This is a place of worship, and you have blasphemed greatly against God."_

 _The man stepped down from the altar and approached Gale in the aisle. He reached into his robe, and Gale's arm raised to shield her from this potential threat._

 _Rather than a weapon, the man uncovered a leather-bound book, roughly the size and thickness of a mortar brick. He held it out to her._

 _Gale reared back slightly. "What is that?"_

" _The truth," he responded simply. To Gale's shock, his body seemed to disintegrate into the air, leaving the book to fall._

" _Wait!" Gale called after him, "What's happening to you? Where are you going? Is this a trick?"_

 _And just like that, she was alone again, her voice ringing in her ears, along with the slap of the book against the carpet floor. She blinked, wondering if she was beginning to lose her mind. She was approaching the age, after all._

 _Gale knelt, and cautiously reached for the book._

"' _The Holy Book of Light and Truth', The Righteous Word of the Great God Leviathan."_

* * *

 _The day after the hearing, Gale received a letter in the mail. She saw the return address and frowned. "What now?" She opened the letter, and read it straight top to bottom. As she reached the end, she felt sick to her stomach._

 _Wheels creaked as a wheelchair was labored into the kitchen. "Gale, my darling, have you read the morning paper?"_

 _Gale threw the half-folded letter on the counter and rubbed her eyes, taking her time to reply. "No, George. I don't care to read it."_

 _Her husband handed her the newspaper anyway. "You'll want to see this."_

 _ **'Russel Son Acquitted of Charges of Vehicular Manslaughter, state governor candidate Trevor Russel responds by personally offering sizeable donation to son's accusers for their losses'**_

" _Though I'm relieved that my son was not found guilty," Russel Sr. told reporters the morning after the hearing on Tuesday, "I cannot help but sympathize with the Campbell family. The losses of Mr. Liam and Mrs. Jane Campbell are still very heavy on our hearts. It's been said before, I am a family man. There is nothing in the world more important to me than family, and young Anthea Campbell lost hers in a single night._

 _In good faith, I will personally be donating seventy-five thousand dollars to her grandparents and legal guardians, George and Gale Campbell. At a time of unimaginable pain and loss, one should never be concerned with the hefty costs of a double funeral service. I know this money alone will not cure the heartache, but I hope it will compensate for the funeral expenses and help provide the Campbell family with everything they need. I hope it will also show that, no matter who you are, the Russels will always help those in need. May God comfort them in these times of grief."_

 _The article continued, but Gale could no longer stomach it. She turned away, scowling at the kitchen sink._

" _God is mocking me," Gale spat under her breath._

" _Gale, is this true?" inquired George, "Did he send money?"_

" _He sent a letter," Gale answered bitterly. "or, at least, his office did. We will be receiving it by next Monday."_

" _That was generous of him," George commented wistfully._

 _Gale slammed her hand on the counter. "Generous? You call manipulating the justice system to keep his guilty son out of prison for killing_ our _son, and then sending some pity cash our way_ generous _?"_

" _He didn't have to," George rasped in response, pausing to cough._

" _Don't you get it, George?" Gale swiped the letter from the counter and held it up two feet from George's face, "this is damage control, saving face, good PR. If the people knew Trevor Russel's son caused a fatal car crash because he was texting and driving, it would surely cost him the public favor, and the election. This is not some magnanimous gesture from a 'family man'. This is a slap in the face to the family whom he denied true justice to. These dollars are not reparation, they are_ votes _!"_

 _Gale's composure continued to dissolve as she crumpled up the letter, weeping. She threw the paper ball in the trash, and slid to the tiled floor to weep._

 _George leaned over as far as he was able, and took his wife's hand. "Darling, I'm so sorry. But, we need the money, the funeral has put us in debt. Think of Anthea."_

 _Gale frowned, and took her husband's hand. Her eyes wandered to the counter, and saw the small book she had received in the sanctuary from that mysterious man, "The Holy Book of Light and Truth"._

 _She squeezed George's hand determinedly. "I will not take a dime of that disgusting man's money."_

* * *

 _The beginnings of snow had begun to fall from an overcast sky. Gale pulled her blue peacoat tighter over her pantsuit as she briskly walked a familiar road. Moreso familiar, at least, for the past year, as it was the road leading to Cypress Cemetery, where Liam and Jane Campbell lied buried beneath cheap flat headstones. A cloaked stranger sat upon a park bench, and raised a hand to wave at her. Normally, Gale would have spared a smile and a hello, but she could not manage it, and marched past him without even a glance._

" _Mrs. Campbell."_

 _Gale stopped in her tracks, and turned around. The cloaked man raised his head, and Gale scowled at the face beneath the hood. "I have no time for you, sir," Gale told him sternly, and continued on her way, her heeled boots clacking heavier against the cement. She half expected another attempt from the man to get her attention but, to her surprise, he did not stop her again._

 _The cemetery was quiet that afternoon. Gale treaded past headstones of various sizes, shapes, colors, and degrees of extravagance, memorials and dedicated monuments for lost loved ones. A thin sheet of white powder rested upon the small cemetery, adding a ghostly element to the already somber mood of a burial ground._

 _Something else was different, and Gale spotted it right away, causing her to marvel at it in wonder as she approached it._

 _A companion headstone, twenty feet away from the south entrance, stood high above the rest as a stunning six-foot-tall black granite tombstone, with elegant script writing for Liam and Jane's names and descriptions. Upon the grey marble base were flowers, hundreds of them—pink and white peonies lying about the plots in large bouquets, glowing especially vibrantly under the dusting of snow._

" _Did I get their inscriptions correct?"_

 _Gale jumped at the voice and swiftly turned around. The cloaked man stood behind her, watching her with a calm and gentle expression with his hands folded respectfully in front of him._

" _This was your doing?" Gale asked, pointing to the ornate display._

 _The man nodded in confirmation. "I believe it is time I introduce myself." He held out his hand. "My name is Dartz, though the Great One's disciples address me as 'Prophet Dartz'. I am the president of a large company, and the Great One has chosen me to be his prophet, and has commanded that I use my power and capital to help the good people of this world, and to teach them of His good word. I thought I'd properly commemorate your late son and daughter-in-law, Anthea's parents. Good people, victims of such terrible tragedy by the hands of evil."_

" _How do you know my granddaughter's name?" Gale demanded._

" _I told you before," Dartz answered coolly, "I know all, I see all, through the eyes of the Great One, our God Leviathan. Aside from that, even the most ordinary man can read a newspaper."_

 _Gale sucked in a breath. "Listen, Dartz," she began a bit nervously, "I appreciate this, but this is not appropriate, and I am afraid you are stalking me. If I see you again, I will not hesitate to call the police. You are lost and confused by a false god, and you're using your hard-earned money foolishly."_

" _Interesting," Dartz responded thoughtfully, "that you would accuse me of misusing my wealth, when your trusted criminal justice system has been bought out by the man whose son killed Liam and Jane."_

 _Gale paused, unable to retort. "But this headstone," she finally argued after a few moments, motioning to it, "this display has to be thousands of dollars. Whatever it is, I cannot afford to pay it back to you."_

 _Dartz shook his head, his blue bangs catching snow in its motion. "I know you can't, not on a notary public's salary, and also considering your husband's medical expenses, and now a young child to care for as well. But I do not expect it back; consider it a gift." He tiled his head to the side. "However…"_

" _However what?"_

" _I am aware that Mr. Russel has offered you a large donation, of sorts," Dartz explained, "and that you are planning to refuse it."_

" _He's trying to restore his reputation," Gale spat, "and I, frankly, would rather die than fall for it and play a helping hand to his campaign."_

 _He nodded in approval. "I see. You are a woman of conviction. I admire that." He paused, and caught Gale's eyes, and tapped his chin. "What if I told you I can offer you far more than that scoundrel ever could, and you will never have to worry about money, or being wronged so despicably ever again?"_

 _Gale scoffed. "I'd say you're insane, and that I'm not interested in your scam, and stay away from me and my family. I don't believe in your god and I will never believe in any god except my true God, my Creator, Lord the Almighty."_

 _Dartz smiled and tilted his head to the side. "How funny. We sound exactly the same, don't we?"_

 _He turned his back to her and sauntered towards the exit. Just before he crossed the gate, he turned his head halfway to Gale, his expression serious. "By this time tomorrow, you, Gale Campbell, will be a believer. For while you all pray to your god who watches idly as your son and his wife are murdered, the Great One and his disciples have been hard at work making your prayers come true. I cannot wait for the light to reach your eyes, when you finally know the truth."_

 _Gale rushed forward to yell back, "If I see you anywhere near me or my family, I swear I will have you arrested!"_

 _But before she could finish, a sharp gust of wind rushed past Dartz, whipping his cloak into a tight spiral, and then he was gone._

* * *

 **" _Breaking News! State governor candidate Trevor Russel, along with his wife Patricia and son Henry, were just found lying comatose on the living room floor of their suburban home."_**

 _Gale dropped the plate of chicken and vegetables in her hands in shock. She ran past the shards of ceramic and chunks of food on the floor into the living room, where George was watching the news._

 **" _Neither Trevor, Patricia, nor Henry are responding to paramedics, but seem to be breathing normally and have no apparent sustained injuries. They are being rushed to Cypress Hospital, where they will be further evaluated. Police say neighbors had called 911 after seeing the Russels' front door wide open and the three Russels lying on the floor. Nothing appears to be vandalized or stolen. The causes of their conditions remain unknown."_**

 _Gale gasped with a hand over her mouth. "What in the world…"_

 _George took a breath, and coughed. "How strange. I wonder what could've happened to them. And how will the election be affected?"_

 _She stood, and cleared her throat. "I'm going to clean up the mess. Sorry, dear, I ruined your dinner. I'll order take-out tonight."_

 _She headed into the kitchen, taking care to hide her hurriedness. With violently-shaking hands, she opened the kitchen drawer and pulled out the 'Holy Book of Light and Truth'._

* * *

"But Prophet Dartz didn't kill them… right?" Anthea asked curiously.

Gale shook her head. "No, darling. Prophet Dartz only put them to sleep. They were bad people, and they were rightfully punished."

"But what about Grandpa?" she pressed. "Why didn't he come with us?"

Gale reached forward and placed her hand over Anthea's. "My dear, Grandpa did not want to come with us. He chose not to believe in the Great One, even after He had more than proven His existence and good will. We had no choice but to leave him."

"But who's taking care of him?"

Gale released her hand and straightened up. "He is in the country's top-ranked senior care center. Grandpa is receiving the best possible care."

Anthea slumped lower in her sheets, a frown on her lips. "I miss him, Grandma."

A pang of guilt struck Gale's heart. She turned away for a moment to swallow her sob. "I know, dear." She set the book on the nightstand beside Anthea's clock, and folded her glasses. "It's time to go to sleep. We can continue our story another night."

Anthea yawned. "Goodnight, Grandma," she said as she caught her grandmother's kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, angel," Gale replied gently, and reached over to her lamp. Before pulling the switch, she added, "oh, I forgot to tell you. There was a train crash in Shifter's Valley earlier today. It's too late to go out now, but in the morning, why don't you see if there are any survivors? If there are, they will surely need food and shelter, hmm?"

The girl nodded sleepily. "Sure, Grandma."

"Just remember what we always tell you before going out there."

Anthea rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I know. If I see a man wearing a golden pyramid, he is the Nameless Pharaoh, and I have to turn him in."

"But be careful," Gale warned, "he is a very dangerous, very bad man. Just be sweet, don't panic, and don't provoke his rage."

"Yes, Grandma."

"Alright, sleep well dear." She pulled the switch, and the room plunged into darkness.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Notes:

*This chapter is not, in any way, intending to denounce any particular religion.

*A public defender is an attorney appointed to those who cannot afford to hire their own.

*For reference: the original companion headstone Gale bought was around $200, which is pretty much the cheapest headstone you can find. Black granite standing headstones start at $2000—a large companion headstone of that size is at least $3000 and only goes up from there. That many flowers are also really expensive.

*A notary public is a person concerned with official documents (contracts, etc.) as an impartial witness, screener, and certifier. Impartiality is the foundation of a notary public's duties and cannot act upon personal bias or self-interest. Surprisingly, their salaries are pretty average middle class.

*In case it wasn't clear, the beginning (and end) of chapter takes place the night before Anthea found Yami and Tea and brought them to the church. AKA the night they were eating each other's faces XD

Thanks for reading!

xo ALG


	9. PART V: What Goes Around

**Sorry for the wait everyone! This chapter will be a little easier on the stomach. The heart, however... well... you knew what you were signing up for.**

* * *

 **Vices**

 **Part V: What Goes Around**

Word spread fast in the small community of Church Leviathan. From the table in the far corner, Téa watched as the dining hall chatter diminish as Yami entered the breakfast line—from full-volume conversation to hushed, conspiratorial gossip, before rising to normal again a few moments later. She frowned as she saw Yami saunter forward, cradling his left arm in his other. His eyes, once a luminescent, emotive violet, had lost their sheen. They looked empty, lost, defeated, compromised to despair. The dark circles under his eyes were noticeable to her even from across the room. She wanted to run to him and draw him into her arms again— _anything_ to restore life in those eyes she remembered.

But he was a _murderer_.

No, he wasn't a murderer, was he? He didn't wield the gun, or even the lighted cigarette that set the man ablaze. But he, a clever strategist, orchestrated the fatal circumstances of a human being. Even if that human being was… hardly one at all. He was more of a spider, a deadly one, possibly with the real intention to take her life if something had displeased him. And while Yami had backed him into a corner, she assumed the prisoner was the one who lit the flame—literally. Murder or rescue, she should be thankful it was the criminal and not her to pay the price for an ill of this world.

Wasn't her brother also a murderer? Even though it was an accident, but the victim was innocent? So many people wanted him dead—essentially, murdered by the state. Did Dunstan deserve to die, just like the prisoner? The public sure saw it that way, overwhelmingly in favor of his life as the price. Who even decided all of this? It all made her head hurt to think about. She didn't want _anyone_ to die, but she held no delusions of such a utopia. In the world she lived in, in order for people to live, others had to die. Those she loved were never going to be exempt from that.

Téa sighed and dropped her face into her hands. The events from the previous night kept her from getting any decent sleep. She had stayed in her room until morning, like the obedient girl who wished not to be punished by the "Great One" again, as if the Leviathan really were a looming authoritarian watching her every move with the scrutinizing gaze of a watchdog. She had cried into her pillow as she imagined what horrible treatment her false testimony had subjected Yami to. Many times she had considered running back and confessing the truth, taking some of the blame on herself in addition to admitting that both of them lied, and breaking curfew a second time. But, she knew what risks such an action would entail, how it not only would've incurred more pain and humiliation but might've led them within sniffing range of Yami's identity as the 'Nameless Pharaoh'… and she stayed put, trying not to think about the horrors going on in that room.

She remembered the look Yami gave her as she was led out of the room. His voice said "sorry", but his eyes said, "trust me". She wanted to trust him, so badly. How could the same man who took the extremely harsh penalty in her place, who quietly stood in front of her looking like a dog beaten into line, be capable of the crimes he had committed?

Téa looked up, just as Yami left the line, with a plate consisting of a single plain bagel with nothing on it. No coffee, nothing else, not even water. That couldn't possibly be all that he planned to eat! Her heart sank as she could now see his hollowed cheeks, and a thin scab over the left side of his bottom lip. Rather than heading for her table, Yami instead seated himself at the next table over, with his back to her. Seated next to him was Kelley, who had invited him there. Téa could faintly hear her wish him a 'good morning', and his soft reciprocation. Jealousy stirred in her stomach, and she ground her teeth in irritation.

"Téa!" someone called loudly from beside her, making her flinch. As she turned to see who it was, she could see Yami's and Kelley's head turn towards the sudden noise out of the corner of her eye, and her face heated up from the sudden attention.

"Good morning, Carter," Téa greeted him as he sat beside her.

"Why are you all alone back here?" he asked, setting his food down.

She shrugged. "I dunno," she answered lamely.

"You and Yugi alright?" Carter prodded at a softer volume, motioning towards 'Yugi' with his head. "Ya have a falling out or somethin'?"

Téa opened her mouth to deny his query but shut it as she caught Kelley reaching over to rub Yami's shoulder. She bit back a growl. "Yeah, something like that." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, tearing her gaze away from Yami and Kelley. "I figured you would've heard something about it by now."

Carter shook his head. "Nah, I'm personally not a fan of gossip. I overheard someone speculating on it, but it sounded kinda ridiculous."

"Do you mind telling me what you heard?" she asked curiously.

He dipped his head and lowered his voice again. "I dunno… somethin' about Yugi being like a…" he grimaced at his next words: "like a predator, or a rapist, or—"

Téa slammed her fist on the table before she could stop herself. "Damnit, that's not true!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

Carter recoiled in alarm at her outburst, raising his hands in defense. "Whoa, sorry, that's just what I heard," he whispered apologetically. "I don't believe it or anything."

"I…" she began, still coming down from her brief spell of rage. She wished she could just fold into a box and stash herself under the table from embarrassment. She took a deep breath and sighed it out slowly, finally composed once more. "I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"That's why I don't like gossip," Carter reminded her. "I'm constantly surprised by what things people will say about others that don't make any dang sense."

 _Oh, the irony of that statement,_ Téa thought.

"But I guess it won't matter after tomorrow," Carter continued. He sounded as if he were trying to sound casual, but nerves gave his voice a slight shudder.

"What's tomorrow?" she asked.

"My Holy Offering ceremony," Carter replied, briefly glancing off to the side. "I guess I hadn't told you, huh?"

She shook her head. "No, what is that?"

He leaned forward and folded his hands together, looking suddenly uneasy. He chuckled nervously. "Well—"

Gale's resounding voice cut him off. "May I have everyone's attention, please?"

The room noise diminished, and Gale greeted her community with her token bright smile. "Good morning, my fine fellow servants of the Great One! It is about that time. But, before we say grace, I have an important announcement to make." With a graceful flourish, she raised her hand and motioned it towards Téa's table. Beside Téa, Carter stood proudly with his hands folded in front of him, as if he were a soldier called to attention.

"It is my honor to commemorate our fellow member, Carter, for the gracious donation of his mortal life force to the Great One's cause!"

Téa's mouth dropped open in shock as the dining hall erupted into applause and cheers of congratulations. Carter met the praise with a small grin and a humble nod in appreciation.

"Tomorrow, we will be hosting a Holy Offering ceremony in the theater at 3pm," Gale continued, "where Pastor Robert will be delivering a special sermon. I expect to see you all there, to help us bid Carter a proper farewell." She folded her hands and bowed her head. "Let's pray."

Carter quietly resumed his seat beside Téa. He smiled sheepishly at her open expression of shock, and quickly averted his eyes and bowed his head as Gale led the prayer. Téa furrowed her brow and stared ahead at the empty chair across from her, six feet from the back of Yami's chair, Gale's voice fading from her ears.

Mortal life force… donation… farewell…

…the Great One's cause…

Téa finally came to terms with the information she learned. She clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle a sharp gasp.

"We shall begin anew!"

The dining hall echoed back, with Carter's voice the loudest: "We shall begin anew!"

Téa turned to Carter as he picked up a knife and began sawing through the sausage links on his plate. "You're sacrificing yourself for the Leviathan?" she whispered angrily at him. "How could you?"

Rather than responding, Carter took a bite of sausage, and pointed at Téa's plate with the knife. "You should try this. Best sausage I've ever had. What is that, brown sugar?"

Téa fought the urge to throw their plates to the floor. "Don't change the subject! What the hell, Carter? Why are you doing this?"

Carter paused his eating and set his utensils down. His features were tensed in clear discomfort. "Because… I lost someone very important to me, okay? I can't go on like this anymore. It's just better this way."

"I'm sorry," Téa said sorrowfully, "but that's not a reason to give up your life. You're still young and have so much to live for."

"You sound like my mom," he commented with a hint of irritation.

"Well, your mom knows what she's talking about."

He picked up his fork. "For the record, I'm twenty-six. I think I've seen enough of this rotten world."

Téa sighed and picked up her own utensils to eat as well. "It's not all rotten."

"Enough of it is."

"What makes you say that?"

Carter bit his lip. "Well… my sister was killed a while ago. Killed by a drunk driver. What kind of peaceful world has people like that?"

Téa flinched, briefly thinking of her brother. "I'm so sorry, Carter."

He put his fork down again. "You know… if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about this right now. I only have one day left, I'd rather make the most of my time with the people who are still here with me." With a shy smile, he reached over and placed his hand over hers.

Téa stared at their connected hands, avoiding his eyes and trying to still her nervous heart. She instinctually glanced at Yami, whose back was still facing her. She carefully slipped her hand from beneath Carter's and let it rest on her lap. "Carter… I'm only sixteen."

Carter quickly withdrew his hand as well, blushing. "Oh… I'm so sorry. I guess I forgot. You seem so much older."

She blinked, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. You just seem so… mature and confident, ya know? Like you really know what you're doing."

She raised her eyebrows and chuckled. "Oh… well I'm glad I at least _look_ like I know what I'm doing. But… I promise you I can be just as clueless as normal teenagers."

"I think everyone can be clueless at times," replied Carter, "even the adults. Happens to the best of us."

Téa stared ponderously at her breakfast. "Yeah."

* * *

Between meals and services, Yami didn't spend much time outside his room, especially now that he could not socialize with Téa in front of watching eyes. He knew what people were saying about him. Though the details were skewed, he'd come to accept their contempt anyway. He just pretended that it was for his other unethical actions—and there were plenty to choose from.

Yami was surprised to hear a knock on his door, just after noon lunch. He opened the door to find Carter greeting him.

"Hey Yugi," Carter greeted him with a little wave. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering… I know you're a duelist, and…" he laughed anxiously, "I would love to have a duel with you, if you don't mind."

"Duel?" Yami asked, puzzled.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I dunno. I'm kind of a novice at it, and you seem like you're really good." He held up his hands. "Totally cool if you're not feeling up to it. Just wanted to try you."

"Of course," agreed Yami, smiling. "I'd be delighted."

Carter beamed. "Awesome! I'm so excited!" He turned his head to the right and nodded in that direction. "There's some picnic tables by the fountain in the courtyard. We could have an old-fashioned tabletop duel. Before all the fancy hologram machines and stuff."

Yami nodded. "Sure. I'll see you there in a few minutes?"

"Yeah! See you soon!" Carter closed the door so excitedly it almost slammed. Yami couldn't help but chuckle at the man's boundless enthusiasm. His mood darkened, however, when he remembered the remaining time Carter intended to spend on this earth was now down to only a little over a day. Suddenly gripped with a feeling of urgency, he grabbed his deck from his nightstand drawer, slipped his jacket back on, and swiftly exited his room.

* * *

"I summon King's Knight to the field in attack mode," Yami declared at a controlled volume, placing the card face-up in the top row of monster cards. "And because both he and Queen's Knight are on the field, I'm able to automatically special summon Jack's Knight to the field as well."

"Damn," Carter marveled at his opponent, "I'm in trouble now." He glanced down at his own army—a face-down defense monster, and a face-up, classic Celtic Guardian.

"I'll have my King's Knight attack your Celtic Guardian, which will take two hundred of your life points. And my Queen's Knight will take care of your face-down monster."

With a smirk, Carter turned over the face-down card: the Man-Eater Bug. "Sorry."

Yami was surprised at the card, and that Carter even had it. Most cards Carter had used thus far were common cards, some a step above, typical of a hobbyist rather than a competitive duelist. The Man-Eater Bug, however, was an ultra-rare.

"A Man-Eater Bug, huh? I thought you were a novice?"

Carter laughed. "I am, you should know that by now! But this card was a gift from my sister. She knew I liked dueling, and she thought the card was pretty cool-looking. She had no idea how rare it was."

"And she wasn't put off by how expensive it was?" Yami inquired curiously.

He scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Nah. She didn't care. She wanted to give it to me anyway." His face turned stony. "She was a good person." A shadow passed over his eyes, but he shook it off quickly. "Anyway, my bug is going to the graveyard, and so is your Jack's Knight."

Yami begrudgingly moved Jack's Knight to the graveyard. He nodded at his opponent. "Well played. It's your turn."

A figure crept into the corner of Yami's eye. He turned his head and saw that Kelley was approaching their table, wearing a thin green sports sweater, black leggings and white running shoes, and hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.

"Are you guys really dueling right now?" Kelley jested as if she couldn't believe two grown men would be dueling in a public space.

"Yeah!" Carter confirmed excitedly. "Yugi's kicking my butt, though. He's really good."

"You're holding your own just fine," Yami assured. In all honesty, while he had some lucky draws and moves, Carter was about as inexperienced as he made himself out to be, partially due to the ordinariness of his cards. But despite the lack of technical challenge, Yami couldn't deny that Carter's light-hearted fervor made the game much more enjoyable. In fact, through the course of the duel he allowed Carter to chip away at his life points, little by little, to make sure Carter would continue to have a good time.

Kelley seated herself beside Yami. "Sounds like fun! I'm about done with my run, can I watch?"

"Sure," both boys consented.

Carter drew a card, and placed it in his hand. He placed a different card in the spell/trap card zone. "One card face down…" he muttered, and set another next to it. "Make that two cards face down." He pulled another and added a third. "This is the last one, three cards down." Finally, he placed a card face up in the monster zone. "Divine Dragon Ragnarok, in attack position."

"That card only has fifteen hundred attack points," Kelley pointed out. "That's not enough to defeat either of Yugi's knights."

Carter shrugged. "Yeah, but it's all I got. I end my turn."

Skeptical, Yami reached over to draw. When he turned the card over, his heart froze in cold dread. Before he could hide it, however, he heard Kelley gasp next to him. He slapped the card face-down on the edge of the table as fast as he could, but he knew it was too late. He spat a curse under his breath.

 _Damn it! How could I have been so stupid? I should've hidden it away the second I was told to!_

"Was that…" Kelley whispered, with a hand partially covering her mouth. Her green eyes were wide in shock.

"No," Yami lied.

"Is everything okay?" Carter prodded innocently.

Yami looked hard at Kelley. Ever so slightly, he shook his head at her, sending every signal he possibly could to her that said 'don't say a word'. He turned his concentration back to the duel, placing the Eye of Timaeus in his pants pocket.

"Sorry, Carter. I had a card in my deck that was banned a few years ago. I just forgot to take it out." His flimsy excuse wouldn't fool anyone who knew him in a million years, but luckily, Carter didn't know him well enough to determine that.

His opponent merely tilted his head. "Oh. Weird. Well, thanks for being honest I guess. You want to draw another card?"

Yami nodded and drew, casting a side glance at Kelley, who was disconcertingly quiet. Both her hands were in her lap, her thumbs twitching. She gazed uncomprehendingly at him, but didn't seem inclined to say anything out loud, to his relief.

"I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode." He placed the monster in the monster zone, a small yellow robot with a magnet helmet posed with his left arm offensively extended forward. "And I will now attack your Divine Dragon Ragnarok."

"Fine," Carter replied, placing the dragon in the graveyard zone. He didn't seem phased, even though he was now down to only two hundred life points, and no more monsters left. Grinning slyly, he flipped over one of his face-down cards. "I activate Rope of Life, which means I'll discard my entire hand"—he discards the only remaining card in his hand to the graveyard—"and special summon Divine Dragon Ragnarok back to my side of the field, with eight hundred more attack points!"

Yami was genuinely impressed. "Great move!" he complimented. He was about to reach for his counter trap, Seven Tools of the Bandit, currently face-down in his spell/trap zone. But he saw the flash of hope in Carter's eyes, the brimming confidence, the child-like giddiness at the success of his strategy—though it was quite spontaneous and impulsive—and, instead, ended his turn.

Carter drew and nodded at himself, as if finally recognizing his own prowess. "Alright, just what I needed." He placed a face-up monster on the field. "Terra the Terrible, in attack mode! And, I'll use this—" he flipped over a spell card—"Gift of the Martyr, to sacrifice Terra the Terrible and give his life points to the Divine Dragon for this turn. Now, Divine Dragon Ragnarok goes from twenty-three hundred to thirty-five hundred!" He activated one last card. "Finally, I'll use Riryoku, to drain _your_ monster by half, and add it to my dragon! Now it's at forty-three hundred fifty!" He clapped both hands to the sides of his head in bewilderment. "Holy crap, I've never actually finished that strategy before! Wow…"

"Good job, Carter," Kelley congratulated. She sounded sincere, but her voice was low and unsteady. Her eyes flickered between Yami and Carter, but she stayed quiet.

"Riryoku is also an ultra-rare card," said Yami, avoiding Kelley's eyes. "Another gift?"

Carter relaxed a little, but he was still grinning ear to ear. "Nah. I bought it for myself one day. I guess I wanted to get more serious about it at one point." He looked down at the table. "I know you are probably going to turn everything upside down before I even get to you… but, I'm just glad I got this far." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I attack your Beta the Magnet Warrior. While it only has half its power at eight fifty, and you have only twenty-three hundred life points left, it's game over unless you get out of this somehow."

Yami pondered his options. He had a few already set; Mirror Force for one, which would redirect Divine Dragon Ragnarok's attack back at him, enabling him to attack with either of his knights and cinch the match. For another, Kuriboh was in his hand, which he could discard and take no damage for the dragon's attack. Soul Shield was also set on his side of the field, which would allow him to pay half his life points to negate the attack and end the battle phase.

After drawing a long, deep breath, Yami folded his cards on the table. "I can't. You win."

Carter stared at him, skeptical. "Wait… really?"

Yami nodded in confirmation. He stood with Carter, and held out a hand for him to shake. "Good game."

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Thank you!" He nearly crushed Yami's hand shaking it in his elation. "I can't believe I beat you! That's crazy!"

The comment hurt his pride almost as much as Carter's violently enthusiastic handshake, but Yami brushed it away. "You displayed great skill and command of the field. I think you could be quite the competitive duelist if you got serious about it."

That turned both his and Kelley's head, with mixed reactions; Kelley was almost glaring at him. Carter, on the other hand, coughed out an awkward laugh.

"If only," he murmured, blushing a bit. Then, with a brighter tone, "anyway, thanks Yugi. That was a lot of fun. I'll see you at the ceremony tomorrow?" He slapped him on the shoulder.

"Uh…" Yami stammered. The reminder of Carter's remaining time in the mortal world, swept aside by the enjoyment of their duel, swung around and hit him full force. "Y-yes," he managed to choke out. "See you there."

Carter waved goodbye to Kelley and headed off, leaving Yami alone with her. Kelley's smile fell into an apprehensive frown as she locked eyes with him.

"Why do you have that card?" she asked him directly. She stayed seated on the bench.

"I just have it," Yami answered simply, turning his body slightly away from her.

Kelley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Is it yours?"

"Does it matter?"

She rose and stepped in front of him. "Is it the card I think it is?"

Yami looked her square in the eye, steeling his resolve. "What card do you think it is?"

"The Eye of Timaeus," she guessed carefully. "Which means you're…" she trailed off, her voice wavering. To Yami's surprise, Kelley suddenly stepped back from him, cowering. Her eyes were wide with terror. She turned on her heel and ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her.

"Kelley wait!" Yami called, sprinting after her. If she got away, he was done for, game over.

Kelley continued to run away from him, and he continued to chase her even as the pursuit led them into the trees of Shifter's Valley. Yami finally caught up to her and managed to grab her arm. She yelped desperately as if he had somehow broken her arm in his grasp, and collapsed onto her legs, curling herself into a ball. Yami immediately let go of her, realizing that the girl was sobbing hysterically.

"Please don't hurt me!" Kelley wailed through slender arms closed tightly over her head. "I won't tell anyone, please don't unleash your rage on me!"

Yami stepped back with his hands up. He quickly glanced around them, making sure they weren't catching the attention of anyone nearby. He stared at the girl, shaking and crying on the forest floor six feet in front of him, completely at a loss for how to handle the predicament before him.

"Kelley," he tried her gently, keeping his distance. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

She looked up with heavy tears in her bloodshot eyes. "But you're… you're…"

Yami sighed. "Yes," he admitted, "I am the Nameless Pharaoh. The one everyone's been telling you about."

Kelley gulped and retreated further away from him. "How did you get in?" she interrogated, watching him cautiously.

"Anthea led us to you, and Gale welcomed us in. We were injured, hungry, and tired, and they took us in."

"They have no idea?" she asked. Yami shook his head.

"What about Carter?" Again, Yami refused.

Kelley hesitated this time. "…Téa?" Before Yami could answer, Kelley gasped loudly, clapping a hand over her mouth in shock. "She's your hostage!"

"That's not true!" Yami quickly denied. "She's my friend. I'm not holding anyone hostage. I'm not trying to hurt anyone."

"Then why did you try to hurt her last night?" Kelley demanded, drawing herself back in case he'd retaliate.

Yami shook his head. "That was a lie you were told, Kelley. Lies and rumors. That's not what happened at all."

"I heard you arguing!" protested Kelley. "In the middle of the night, I heard you. And then after we hung out at breakfast, people told me that you were severely punished."

"I was," Yami bitterly confirmed. "But we were discussing something else. I was never hurting her."

 _At least, not physically,_ he thought.

"Wait a minute…" he lowered his hands and took a step towards her. " _You're_ the one who reported us, aren't you?" His voice became firm and harsh. " _You're_ the reason they beat me. And they were going to beat Téa, too… again!"

Kelley shrank back into a ball, weeping loudly into her knees. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please believe me, I only thought I was doing the right thing!"

"The right thing?" Yami echoed in irritation.

" _I was trying to protect Téa_!" Kelley cried.

Yami froze. He felt himself coming down from a spell, something he hadn't felt in some time, but was familiar enough for him to recognize it. He looked down shamefully at his fists, tightened in anger to the point of his knuckles being white. He finally set his eyes on Kelley again, who trembled before him like a frightened lamb. If he was trying to make a case that he wasn't violent, he was doing a poor job of it. "I'm sorry."

"Please let me explain," Kelley begged as she calmed down, her voice wobbly.

Yami nodded, and lowered himself onto his knees so he could be at her level. "Tell me your story," he encouraged as soothingly as he could.

After some time, and with some effort, Kelley pushed herself up to sitting position and brushed herself off, keeping a wary eye on Yami. "A few years ago, my mom was dating this guy…" she began, "I didn't like him, he seemed angry all the time, but we were poor and he had a good job and supported us. I heard them fighting all the time, but I was always told to stay out of it. They even punished me when I told them to stop—my mom grounded me, and her boyfriend took away my allowance for the month."

Kelley rubbed her knees nervously. "They kept fighting and fighting, and I always had to listen it, every day, and I could do nothing to stop it. It was horrible… and I desperately wanted to tell someone, but I was afraid my mom would never forgive me. And then…" she grimaced, "one day, while they were screaming in the kitchen… they suddenly stopped, and then there was a long silence… and then a gunshot."

Yami lowered his eyes to the ground. He could hear the guilt in her voice as clear as day. He considered reaching out to her, but decided against it.

"He shot my mom in the back, and ran away. I called the ambulance, but it was too late."

"I'm sorry, Kelley," Yami offered sorrowfully. He knew most everyone at Church Leviathan had faced struggle in some form or another, but never did he imagine sweet, pure Kelley's story to be so especially dark. "Please believe me, I am."

"I've learned not to stay quiet if I know something is wrong," Kelley added, her voice a bit calmer. "I was afraid of ever letting someone get hurt because I am told to not get involved, even if it costs me in some way. Being part of Church Leviathan lets me help be a part of real change. I don't want to sit idly by and watch people hurt each other anymore. I want to do the right thing."

"You wanted to make sure you weren't allowing Téa to get hurt," Yami reasoned aloud. "That's very commendable of you."

Kelley, obviously not expecting such praise, raised her head. "You're not angry?"

Yami shook his head. "I was, but it's gone now. I had no right to be. I know why you did what you did."

She peered curiously at him. "Are you sure you're the Nameless Pharaoh?"

He couldn't help a small smile. "Quite sure."

Kelley wiped at her eyes. "Well, you must not be the same one in our scriptures. We were told the Nameless Pharaoh is a cruel tyrant with the rage of a thousand dragons. But you're so nice."

Yami rose to his feet. "Don't believe everything these people tell you," he warned, helping her stand. "They are people with good intentions, who believe what they're doing is the right thing. But, unfortunately, they've been terribly misinformed."

Kelley tilted her head. "How do you know that?"

Yami turned his hands upward to indicate himself. "Didn't you once believe I had the intention of harming you?"

Instead of replying, she simply looked at him, examining him as if trying to cross-reference her mental image of the Nameless Pharaoh with the image of the one standing in front of her. "To be honest, I'm still not completely sure." She slowly raised her hand to him, palm towards him, about chest-high. Yami raised his as well, fingers splayed like hers, and carefully pressed his hand against hers until they created a perfect mirror image. Kelley marveled at their joined hands as if they were part of a sculpture masterpiece. "You're just as human as I am," she murmured in wonder.

He nodded slowly. "I'm probably about your age, too."

"I'm seventeen," she informed him.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Ah, you're older."

Kelley smiled, and her smile grew wider as she continued to observe their hands. " _You_ seem a lot older."

Internally, Yami smirked at the irony. "So I'm told," he said aloud. Their hands came down and returned to their sides. "Kelley, I have to ask you to keep all of this between us."

The girl's face fell immediately. "But—"

"You know what will happen if you don't."

Kelley could only stare blankly at him, as if searching for the answer in his eyes.

"Please promise me," Yami implored. "I'm not ordering or threatening you. I'm asking you, _begging_ you. If you truly believe that the man before you is not the man you've been taught to hate and fear… please keep my true identity a secret."

After what seemed like forever, Kelley finally brought her head down to nod, her ponytail bobbing behind her head. She placed her right hand over her heart, her voice firm, earnest. "I promise," she pledged.

Yami smiled down at her in gratitude. "Thank you."

"'The Great One created him strong, intelligent, courageous, and capable'," she recited. She bit her lip, and tentatively removed her hand from her chest to brush the back of her fingers over his cheek. "They never said 'cute'," she murmured sheepishly.

Yami stiffened, blushing darkly at Kelley's sudden forwardness. He was alarmed even further when she leaned in, eyes closed and lips puckered.

"Kelley?" Yami reacted quickly, leaning out of her reach and pushing her shoulder back with his hand. Kelley's eyes fluttered open in surprise, and regret creased her face.

"Sorry," Yami whispered. "But it's a bad idea. I apologize if I led you on."

"Oh…" Kelley muttered disappointedly. "I don't really know what came over me… I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he assured, patting her shoulder. "Believe me, I'm flattered. But—"

Yami stopped as he watched Kelley's form seem to shift—jade green eyes changing into a cerulean blue, a slender blonde girl flaring into a curvier brunette dressed only in black lingerie. He suddenly felt slender hands wash over his face, neck, and shoulders like gentle, seductive whispers on his skin. The sensations, though illusory, felt real enough to make him shiver. He blinked as the trance fell away, and Kelley, who still stood before him, was watching him with a look of concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Yami clenched his eyes shut for a moment, shaking his head to clear his mind of the forest's illusions. He cleared his throat. "I'm fine."

"Yugi!" Someone called to him from a short distance. It was Gale, waving frantically at him. He and Kelley immediately stepped back from each other, creating a modest distance between them.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Gale chided him irritably as she got close enough, sounding a bit out of breath. She grabbed his arm. "Please come with me," she insisted with a serious, urgent tone, pulling Yami by the elbow. "Your presence has been requested."

"It has?" Yami inquired as Gale led him away. "By whom?"

Gale continued to lead him away without answering him. Instead, she regarded Kelley with a nod. "Kelley, please excuse us."

Yami looked back at Kelley who watched him leave with a worried expression on her face. Despite her nerves, she placed her right hand over her heart again, demonstrating her intention to keep her promise.

* * *

Yami and Gale came upon a small, pale white building with a flat rectangular roof and about a dozen small windows in two rows, just a few yards beyond the dorm facility, with a large red plus sign painted above the entrance. They entered the building to be met with a small office at the front of a long hallway, lined with a row of beds on either side wall, with the curtains in each stall drawn back. Most of the beds were empty and dressed in clean linens, with the exception of two or three with the curtains closed and shielding the patients from view. Gale marched pasted the front desk, down the aisle, pulling Yami along with her. She stopped at the only bed on the right side with the curtain closed, where a nurse was taking the occupant's blood pressure. The steady beeping of a heart monitor entered Yami's ears. The nurse became aware of Gale's and Yami's presence and nodded, drawing back the curtain to reveal a bedridden Pastor Robert.

The old pastor rested on the bed, dressed in a thin sheet hospital gown with electrodes attached to his chest. He had an IV in his forearm and the prongs of a nasal cannula streaming oxygen into his nostrils. Pastor Robert opened his sleepy eyes and smiled up at his new company. His wrinkled face was dry and pale, only a few shades darker than the paper gown.

"He had a heart attack," Gale whispered to Yami.

"Is he going to be alright?" Yami asked worriedly, remembering too vividly the day when Yugi's grandfather was rushed to the hospital for cardiac distress after a grueling battle with Seto Kaiba.

"He's been stabilized," she answered evenly, "and he asked for you."

Gale came to the pastor's side. "Robert," she addressed the elder gently, using her other hand to rub his arm. "Yugi's here."

Pastor Robert wheezed out a laugh, catching the nurse's wary eye. "Yes, I see him. Even my useless eyes can spot that hair a mile away." He spoke slowly with a crooked smile. Each word sounded labored. "Yugi, my boy. How wonderful of you to stop by."

"Pastor Robert," Yami replied evenly with a nod in greeting, "I'm glad to see you are in high spirits."

"Our God is good," he paused to cough—a horrible raspy, hacking cough—"My marvelous God has healed me."

"Don't forget your doctors and nurses," Yami reminded him, nodding at the nurse watching them. She smiled at him in appreciation.

"Of course," the pastor acknowledged, "but it is by the graces of the Great One that they had the strength and skill to heal me. We owe it all to Him."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yami thought he saw the nurse roll her eyes as she continued to silently monitor the cardiograph. He cleared his throat. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yugi, I will be candid with you. My time on this earth is running out. The Great One… He has sent me a sign that I don't have much time left. I may not even be around for the Holy Cleansing, seeing as the blasted pharaoh is taking his sweet time coming to justice."

Yami flinched at that, his fists tightening at his side. He felt his pulse start to rise, and was thankful he wasn't the one hooked up to the monitors. He couldn't be angry at the pastor, but the comment certainly struck a nerve.

"But I need you, Yugi. Carter's Holy Offering ceremony is tomorrow, and I will not be well enough to deliver the sermon." He coughed again, "I will entrust that responsibility to you."

"M-me?" Yami stammered, pointing to himself. "But, I can't—"

"You _can_ ," Pastor Robert insisted with a rasp in his voice, "I remember when you read the 'Nameless Pharaoh' passage, how the people received it. Your voice, your strength, it touched them. It encouraged them. They _believed_ you, I know they did. Even _I_ left the service feeling like these old bones still have purpose."

"He's right," Gale chimed in from beside Yami, "since that service, there have been multiple requests to have you read again."

He looked at Gale, and then Pastor Robert. "I don't understand."

"I told you, you have a gift," said the pastor, "Not many people can inspire trust and devotion like that. It is people like you who can restore hope in a hopeless world."

Yami was stunned. "You really think so?"

The pastor nodded. "Even now, as I hear you speak, I can sense the strength in your soul, and feel the warmth of your heart."

The nurse adjusted Pastor Robert's pillow so that he could rest easier, and his eyes closed gently. "Use your gift wisely, boy. Preach the word of light and truth. Lead these people to a better life. And give Mr. Green a proper sendoff for me."

* * *

The clock read 10:51pm, nearly an hour after the adult curfew. Yami lied awake in bed, staring blankly at the pale ceiling above him with his hands folded over his chest. He felt eternally restless, having given up on a full night of sleep long ago. He couldn't read the sermon, not again. He barely got through the last one without completely losing his composure. Whatever happened to his steely façade he'd mastered so well, his stoic demeanor no matter how unnerved he really was, his "game face" that always kept his opponents guessing?

Never did he feel so... transparent.

 _Preach the word of light and truth. Lead these people to a better life._

Did his voice really carry that much influence? Did his past self use it for good, or evil?

 _And give Mr. Green a proper sendoff for me._

How was he supposed to use it to facilitate the voluntary reaping of Carter's soul and, effectively, endorse such a practice?

 _Anyway, thanks Yugi. That was a lot of fun. I'll see you at the ceremony?_

Yami was beyond frustrated that he didn't do enough to convince Carter to stay. There didn't seem to be much he could do, but he could have at least tried a little harder, said just the right thing, instead of tacitly agreeing to commemorate his self-sacrifice in front of everyone. Like Kelley once did, he refrained from trying to right a wrong. This was entirely antithetical to what he'd always believed in. Speak up, defend yourself, defend others. Everyone had the courage to do so, if they looked deep enough inside themselves to find it. So... where was his, when he needed it?

And speaking of Kelley… he placed his faith in her to stay quiet, even though a traumatic experience in her life had taught her otherwise. All because he was too hasty to have a duel with Carter to bother to check himself before dueling for the first time since Rafael. He clenched his fist in frustration at himself. That was possibly one of the sloppiest mistakes he'd ever made, if not the most. Anthea took a risk in warning him about it. How was he supposed to explain this to Téa? Would he ever be able to? Was the constant hopelessness and despair around him causing him to lose his mind?

If all these unanswered questions weren't exhausting enough to mull over, Téa was constantly on his mind, for many reasons, most of which caused him much personal distress. None of this was her responsibility. His murky past and questionable actions weren't her responsibility; his recent egregious lapses in judgement weren't her responsibility—she didn't _ask_ for her best friend to be stolen from her. She didn't _ask_ to come with him when the train to Florida severed in half. She could've stayed with Joey and Tristan, and ideally would've never found this place at all. It wasn't her responsibility to trust her "hero" to protect or save her.

This horrible, horrible place was not her responsibility, either.

She must've known by now that she could not trust him—not with her life, not with her heart. And yet, not even his admission to his act of _murder_ was enough to have her condemn him. Yami furrowed his brow. His distancing himself from her was supposed to give them space, to distract himself from her, at least until he could gather his thoughts. Why was he fixating on this so much? Why was it so important to him that Téa judged his character with such disdain? What sort of relief was he expecting to find once he had her contempt?

He pondered that it was because he knew she deserved so much better than him, than all of this. Téa deserved stability in her life—friends, family, a paved path to her dreams. She deserved someone to show her the love, attention, and respect she had more than earned. He cared about her, and genuinely wanted the best for her. In fact, his desire for her contentment, and Yugi's freedom, had eclipsed his longing for his memories.

Yami sat up. The thought lingered in his mind, and it brought a strange, comforting warmth he didn't expect. He _did_ care about her, a lot. Perhaps it was the way her genuine, infectious smile penetrated his tough exterior and brought him a sense of humanity. Perhaps it was because when she was happy, her soul was positively radiant, and he couldn't help but be happy, too. When she was sad, he could hardly stand it, and felt her pain as his own. Most notably—when it came time to fight for the people she loved, her iron will was invincible.

And, perhaps, it was the way she made him feel when she kissed him, how her devotion to him was as potent as the warmth of her affection as she touched him so tenderly, that caused her illusion to appear in Shifter's Valley earlier. The intensity of the illusion was above what he'd experienced before while in the mystical forest; it felt as real as if she were really touching him, even though Kelley hadn't touched him at all.

Was it… _love_ he was feeling?

No, it couldn't be love. Not in _that_ way. The single worst thing he could do was fall for her.

But the thought of it remained.

Yami lifted himself from the bed and slipped on his sweater and slippers. It didn't matter. He didn't care what happened to him beyond this point. Any day could very well be the last day of modern civilization, of his existence. Of Téa's existence. Yugi's. Joey's. Tristan's. Mai's. The entire mystical world of monsters of whom he'd relied on so many times in his battles, and the lives of everyone he knew and loved hung in the balance. Each day he spent in this place stripped away his confidence, little by little. Téa was smart, resilient, and adaptive; she still had a chance to survive. And he was going to help her, even if that meant he'd never see her again.

He slowly opened the door, silently rehearsing his approach, when he looked up to see Téa staring back at him, dressed in a light green robe, with her fist raised as if about to knock.

"Téa?" said Yami, surprised. He let her in, checked the hallway, and gingerly closed the door behind her.

"I love you," Téa declared in a soft, but determined voice. "I just had to come and tell you. Damnit… I love you, Pharaoh."

Yami's breath caught in his throat at the admission. "Téa—"

"I know I shouldn't," she cut him off, careful to keep her voice down. "You make me so angry sometimes. Sometimes I really think you're insane. But…" she paused, taking a steadying breath, "You're still a hero, whether you want to believe it or not. You may not always know the right thing to do, but I've never doubted that you always want to do whatever it is. You saved me from those thugs because I was in danger, and you knew you could do something about it."

Yami tried to respond, but she stopped him with a firm hand. "Your actions were not ethical, but regardless, they were carried out in my interest. In any case, I owe you my life."

Téa reached for his face. "I still stand by what I said. You're not evil." She brushed her thumb softly over his cheekbone. "You're a good guy. And the world needs you. _I_ need you."

Yami grasped her hand in his and lowered it from his face, but kept hold of it. "Téa, I'm going to do something tomorrow, something that won't be well-received. It will likely not end well for me."

She furrowed her brow. "What is it?"

"I was asked to speak at Carter's ceremony tomorrow," he explained. "Instead, I am going to save him, and attempt to get through to him, and anyone else who will listen. I am about to give everyone a serious wake-up call."

"But… what if it doesn't work?" she asked doubtfully, clearly worried for him. "Those people will be livid. You'll cause an outrage… they'll retaliate!"

"Perhaps," he responded darkly. "Either way, it will be your chance to escape."

She stepped back in shock. "What?"

"You'll be able to leave this place behind and find Joey and Tristan. Everyone will be distracted by the commotion I will cause. If one of Dartz's men recognizes you, you can tell them that you were my hostage and you escaped."

" _What_?"

Yami held her hand against his heart. "In case this is goodbye, I want you to know… that no matter what happens to me, I'll always be grateful for you. If things were different…"

"Damnit, _no_ ," Téa denied, yanking her hand away, "you are _not_ going to do that to me again. You're not going to try to save me with your own sacrifice." She frowned and shook her head. "You _told_ me you understood why I can't let that happen. Furthermore, I just told you I _love_ you. Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?"

"Of course it does," Yami assured, "but don't keep yourself in danger because of how you feel."

"Oh, make no mistake," Téa scoffed, "I'm not here just for you. The world is in danger thanks to people like these Leviathan-worshipping zealots—innocent people, like Anthea, are all caught in it. Like I've already told you, we're a team, and we're staying that way. And, frankly, I don't trust you with the fate of the world at the moment, at least by yourself. Right now, I am your only ally, and if I leave you alone, we're all doomed."

"Thanks for your confidence," Yami retorted sarcastically. "Very reassuring."

"I think you are capable of anything under the sky," Téa countered, stabbing a finger into his chest, "except doing everything all on your own." She raised her fist, as if about to punch him, but lowered it again. "What exactly are you planning to do after you give your little speech?"

"I imagine the penalty is quite severe," admitted Yami. "They will probably beat me, even confine me."

"And you're willing to take that risk, just so you might get through to a few people?"

He shook his head. "I might not get through to anyone. But either way, it will give you a chance to get away. Perhaps find the others, and take cover, if necessary…"

"Yami…" whispered Téa, shaking her head, "they could kill you for it."

Yami slowly nodded, his eyes hardening. "If they do… then I'll be dead. My soul will be inaccessible, and the Leviathan cannot be awakened."

Téa shook her head harder, her nose wrinkling. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to banish the thought of his sacrifice from her mind.

Yami could hardly look at her. His voice shook with regret. "I'm sorry."

"I'd never see you again," she choked. "I'd never see you _or_ Yugi ever again."

"Even so… it would be better than the alternative. As long as I'm alive, the world is in danger."

"And you're the only one who can mitigate that danger," she reminded him, her voice trembling. "As long as you're alive, this world has hope." She stepped back from him, keeping eye contact. "You don't have to love me back, but at least let me be a part of your team. We're in this together, and we're coming out of this together."

Yami growled inwardly. "Fine," he conceded, "I will come up with a different plan." His frown curved upward into a smirk. "I should've known you'd never approve."

"About time you learned," Téa jabbed, a giggle poking through her sniffles. Wiping her eyes, she looked at him for a long moment, looking as if something about him gave her pause.

"What?" he asked, perplexed by her expression.

She blinked as if she were in a trance. "Sorry. It's… it's just… I hardly ever see you smile anymore." She stepped back a few paces from him, her own smile fading. "I should head back to my room. It's late." She hesitated with her next words. "Oh and, maybe… if everything happens to go according to plan and we make it out alive… and someday, somehow we go back to normal life…" she trailed off.

"Yes?"

"It might be a good idea if we… spent some time apart."

Yami furrowed his brow at the answer. "What makes you say that?"

She took a deep breath. "Well… we've been through a lot together, you and I. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing we have each other through all this. But… it's been hard. We're going to have all sorts of issues to deal with in the aftermath. And… I will need time to get over you."

Yami couldn't explain why, but her answer left a sharp pain deep in his chest. Perhaps it was the ache in her voice, or even that her words made perfect sense even though he didn't want them to. And, perhaps, he hated the thought of things ending as such. "Téa…"

She continued with a self-directed bitterness in her tone, "I've let this stupid love… infatuation… whatever it is, run too long. You've been right all along, it would be foolish to entertain any feelings, since… I mean, let's face it, you're not going to be around forever. It's clear that there will never be a time and place for us, and this whole mess just aggravated the heartache. Of course I want to spend as much time with you as possible before you have to leave, but before that, I will need some space to accept this and move on, so, when it's finally time to…"—she gulped—"you know… say goodbye… I'll be able to do it. That's all I'm saying."

She sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry I said anything at all. I should've learned from the first time. If you want, we can pretend like it never happened." She turned towards the door a last time, casting a grave, remorseful smile his way. "Goodnight."

"Wait," said Yami.

"Hmm?"

He slowly stepped towards her, reaching up to comb locks of brunette hair away from her face with his fingers, which then delicately traced over her jaw and chin. He settled his gaze upon her soft blue eyes, eyes that stared back at him like she could see everything he was—his strengths, his fears, his insecurities, every color of his soul and every layer of his spiritual existence an open book. Those blue orbs chased him with obvious desire, the pupils dilated. He was so lured by them, all that he wanted to say virtually slipped from his mind. He was going to tell her how much she truly meant to him, how tomorrow was never less guaranteed than it was now, and above all, how fortunate he was to have her friendship, her loyalty...

…but, with a quiver in his throat, all he could manage to say was, "Please don't go."

Yami grasped her chin in his hand, leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. Téa stiffened in surprise at first, and within seconds she returned it, fulling locking her mouth on his. Yami closed his eyes to fully immerse himself in the moment. She shrugged off her robe and tossed it aside, revealing a thin green satin nightgown that reached her knees. Her hands swept over his shoulders and clasped behind his neck, pulling him closer to her. He, in turn, held her waist and drew her hips to his. He slid a hand up her exposed back to rest between her shoulder blades, where he applied pressure as their kisses grew more fervent and desperate.

Yami took command, walking her backwards into the door, to which he pinned her with his body flush against hers. He laced his fingers with hers on each hand, and held them against the door above her head. He moved in to kiss her, catching her moan in his mouth.

"We'll wake someone up," warned Téa as soon as she was free to speak. "We have to be careful."

"Is it wrong that I like that?" Yami asked with a shy smile, "I know it's strange, but the danger of being caught… it…"—he cleared his throat—"…I don't mind it."

Téa snorted. "That's like every teenager's fantasy."

Yami wasn't sure if he found that funny or embarrassing. "Huh."

She smiled, her face brimming with confidence. "I feel the same way. So kiss me already. But not too loud."

Yami granted her request with a quiet laugh. He kneaded her lips over and over again, each time pressing her head to the door with each wave. He enjoyed every part of the process—the meeting of their lips, the release, the reunion… the feeling of her supple body against his, the dizzying sensation that both endowed and robbed him of strength… he could lose himself entirely in it, much too easily. That feeling he remembered from before was upon him again, the dull nudge of regret veiled by the wonderful bliss that detached him from the bleak reality surrounding him… he was determined to hold on to it this time, and savored every second of it.

Suddenly, Téa turned her head before Yami could move in for another kiss, causing his mouth to run into her cheek. Before he could ask what was wrong, Téa dragged her lips along his jawline, and sprinkled long, slow kisses down his neck.

"Ahhh…" Yami hissed in a sharp breath, which he held as tiny sparks flew from his neck to his chest, back, and stomach. His breath released as something between a sigh and a moan as she hungrily nipped at his skin with her teeth. Her mouth reached his collarbone, where she pressed heady kisses along the length until she arrived at the edge of his shirt on his shoulder. He let her pull his sweater off his shoulders, and then his sleep shirt over his head.

Téa's eyes flickered down to gaze upon his stomach. She frowned as she saw the remnant of a fading bruise, roughly the size of a male fist, barely four inches above his navel. She touched it softly with her fingertips, clearly troubled by the sight.

"I don't remember seeing this in the river," she whispered. When Yami gave her no response, she went on to ask, "Was this from last night?"

Yami slowly nodded. He anticipated where Téa would look next, and drew his left arm behind him just as she turned her head in its direction.

"Let me see," she demanded.

He shook his head dismissively. "It's fine."

"Let me _see_ ," she repeated more sternly, holding out a hand expectantly.

With a displeased grunt, Yami reluctantly relinquished his arm to Téa, who grimaced disapprovingly at the dozens of scabs, thin and dark as pen strokes, stretching over skin still pink and flaking at the edges.

"How many?" she asked.

"Fifty," he replied quietly.

With her other hand, she grazed her thumb over his bottom lip, where the small scab there was still fading. "And they beat you, too?"

He let her continue to caress his lip as he spoke. "Because I didn't make it easy for them."

"Of course you didn't." Unexpectedly, she cracked a side smile, almost like she was proud of him. "I wouldn't expect any less."

Téa brought Yami's forearm up to her lips, and placed a gentle kiss over the scabs. "You saved me again." She grasped the hand of the arm she was holding, and beckoned Yami to the bed behind them. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him into another kiss as soon as he was within range, slipping her arms beneath his and around his back and gnawing softly on his upper lip.

"We can't share a bed," Yami teasingly reminded her between kisses. He couldn't help but chuckle after a moment.

Téa joined him in laughter, rolling her eyes playfully. "Oh what terrible worshippers we are. Naughty, naughty." With a sly, determined look on her face, she suddenly spread her knees and wrapped her legs tightly around his body, pulling his upper thighs into the mattress. She locked her ankles behind his backside like a vice, trapping him.

Yami couldn't help but whimper as their lower bodies collided so intimately, causing Téa to shush him with a finger over his lips. His hands dropped to her smooth, creamy thighs to hold, and he realized her satin nightgown had ridden up, and his fingers were dangerously close to her panties.

"The Great One will be very displeased," Téa murmured, grinding her groin against his in a pulsating rhythm. Before he could even release a groan, she slid her tongue into his mouth, lapping it around his. Admittedly, Yami was not well-versed in the ways of bedroom talk, but Téa was certainly succeeding in encouraging him, using language that would normally disturb him. Was this… normal? It couldn't be healthy, but, nevertheless…

Out of the corner of his eye, Yami noticed a strap from Téa's nightgown had fallen off her shoulder, and momentarily pulled away from her to fix it. Before he could, however, Téa snatched his wrist, and instead guided his hand to her chest. Releasing his waist from her legs, she rubbed his hand intimately against the upper curve of her soft, full breast. She looked intently at him, with sensual longing in her eyes.

 _These are nice!_

 _Don't touch me, creep!_

 _Bitch!_

 _Your soul is mine!_

Yami wavered, his hand and wrist stiffening under her fingers. "I…"

"What's wrong?"

Blushing, he started to pull away, averting his eyes from her body. "I can't. Not after Dakotah—"

Téa held firm. "You're not Dakotah. I want _you_ to touch me, Yami. I _need_ you to."

With a bit of effort, she moved his hand lower on her breast, over the low-riding laced neckline of her nightgown. "See?"

A small, hardened nub pushed against the thin fabric and into his palm. As if guided by dormant instinct, he brushed his thumb over her concealed nipple, feeling its rigidity as evidence of her aroused state. He repeated the motion a few times, closely watching her reaction. Beneath the faint veil of moonlight, he watched goosebumps rise upon her exposed skin as she tipped her head back to sigh in pleasure.

Yami's face and ears warmed as the sight of Téa with her chin tilted, her eyes closed and lips parted, thick eyelashes fluttering lazily, her chest and neck flushed, and the single dismounted strap of her gown hanging over her arm. It was an unbelievably erotic image, reminiscent of her undressed in the river. And _damn_ she was beautiful, swathed by the pale spotlight of the moon. A deeper, primal part of him wanted to ravish her, to tear her gown to shreds, to…

No, they've had enough of violence. He had to treat her with care. She trusted him, after all.

Yami took the opportunity to kiss the base of her throat, gentle as a feather. He tucked his fingers beneath her gown and cupped her breast with his entire hand, pushing against her hardened nipple with the center of his palm. He trailed kisses up her neck to the flesh beneath her jaw exposed by her raised chin. He felt her shudder against him when he munched tenderly on the skin just below her ear. He tugged on her nipple with his fingers, just to feel her shiver again. " _Pharaoh_ …" Téa gasped in his ear. She arched her back ever so slightly. "Mmnnuhhhh…"

Yami's stomach twisted into a knot at the sound of her voice—soft, dulcet mewls deepening into robust, womanly purrs. He couldn't deny how seductive it was, how it made her more and more irresistible each time. Hot blood suddenly flooded his veins and rushed to his lower abdomen, and he felt his member swelling and stiffening in his pants. _Oh no_ , he thought in surprise and frustration. _I can't… what is happening…_

Due to both the looseness of his sweatpants and his close proximity to Téa's body, it was apparent that she noticed right away, even when he pulled away and tried to hide it out of embarrassment. "Someone's getting excited," she teased. Then, in a huskier tone, "I can make you feel good, too…"

Yami barely got out the word "wait" before Téa was stroking the bulge his pants, slowly running her palm along the length of his shaft, and it was too late to stop her. Yami's eyes snapped open as he was suddenly swarmed by waves of pleasure running over not only his erection, but every part of his body from head to toe. The sudden intensity of his arousal turned his thoughts to mush and made his heart pound erratically against his chest. Téa briefly paused to untie the drawstring of his pants and relieve him of them before resuming her caress, now only his very thin boxer briefs protecting him from direct contact. Her other hand, still on his lower back, descended to his rear and squeezed him there as well. The heightening stimulation forced him to clap a hand over his mouth to muffle the involuntary cries of pleasure trying to escape his throat. His knees momentarily gave out and he had to grab Téa's shoulder with his other hand to keep from falling to the floor.

Téa looked pleased by her handiwork. "You've never been touched like that before, have you?"

"Evidently not," Yami answered, panting.

"How do you like it so far?"

Slightly embarrassed, he turned his head a bit to the side. "To tell you the truth… it's incredible."

Her hand returned to his shaft, stroking him a bit gentler. "Well, good. You deserve it."

He froze. "What?"

She shrugged as she continued. "I dunno. I feel like you deserve a break from the doom and gloom and enjoy something for once."

Against his own wishes, Yami removed Téa's hand from his groin. "This is not mine to enjoy."

Téa sighed in exasperation. "Yami, we've been over this."

"This is Yugi's body. I have no right to take this from him."

She pressed her lips together. "You know what Yugi told me once? When he was in the hospital after the warehouse fire?"

Puzzled at her question, Yami furrowed his brow. "No."

"Well, Joey and Tristan had left, and it was just me and Yugi. I asked him how he was so sure of his decision to stay in the warehouse, even if he knew he could die. He told me how much he cherished you and your partnership, and that's when he realized that you two were truly a team."

 _I know you don't know him that well, Téa, and it may look like his presence in my life is getting us into all sorts of trouble. Trust me… Mom has already given me an earful._

 _But I honestly think you're the only one who could understand. I think I know him pretty well now. For so long I just thought of him as another side of me, a more confident, braver, tougher side… a side of me I had yet to know. But he's a_ person, _Téa. A person with a personality, hopes, fears, and needs all of his own. We've created such a strong bond… I can't really describe it. We're so synchronized in battle, and we share the same thrill when we pull in a victory. He has already taught me so much about confidence and strength—he's shown me what kind of man I want to grow up to be. But, more than that… he's my friend, and I want him to be happy. I'd give him anything I have, and everything I am, so he can be as happy as I am. What's mine is his. If I had abandoned him in the warehouse, I could've lost him forever, and he'd never be human again._

 _Téa, did you know that he was trapped in this Puzzle for thousands of years by himself, with no memory of who he is or why he's here? Can you imagine the loneliness, the sadness? And yet, he does everything he can to protect me and make_ me _happy. Even after I acted so foolishly and got him trapped in there_ again _… he's already forgiven me._

 _Through me, he can exist in this world, and live again. And just by being willing to share, I'm giving him his humanity back, and I want him to enjoy it as much as possible._

 _In fact, when we reconnect, I'm going to offer him all my memories. Because I know for a fact that not having any of his own brings him down, and I want him to at least be able to reminisce to a happier time. Even if it's_ my _happier time. I hope it will suffice until he is whole again._

Yami was shocked. "He really said that?"

Téa nodded. "Yeah. And look, I'm not telling you this to manipulate you or change your mind. I'm just saying… if Yugi comes back to find out that you abstained from something that gave you joy, he'd probably be pretty disappointed."

Yami shook his head. "He loves you."

She slowly nodded. "I know. But… in a different way, he loves you just as much."

"I won't take his innocence from him," he affirmed decidedly. "Even if the world ends tomorrow."

"Of course." Téa kissed him lightly on the lips, and then fixed her fallen strap. "Maybe I should go."

"You might be safer if you stay here for the night," offered Yami.

"I guess both safer and less safe, if you think about it," she pointed out.

Yami smiled tenderly at her. "That's true. But, if I could have a preference… I've missed your company."

Téa returned his smile with one of her own. She gently combed a lock of his bangs from his face, allowing his eyes to see her unobscured. "Alright. Let's call it a night and get some sleep."

The pair quietly climbed into bed beside each other, both slipping under the covers. Yami resumed his position of lying on his back, while Téa rolled onto her right side, facing away from him. After a few minutes of attempted sleep, Téa turned her head towards him. "Pharaoh?"

Yami, still awake, answered softly. "Yes, Téa?"

"Will you hold me? At least until I fall asleep?"

He carefully rolled onto his side until he was flush against her, and slipped his left arm over her waist. "Like this?"

Téa took his lower arm and sandwiched it between hers, holding the scabbed side protectively against her smooth chest. "Yeah," she whispered contentedly.

Yami let his head sink fully into the pillow, falling away to a drowsy, relaxed state as he felt fingertips gliding lightly over his surrendered arm. "Before you go to sleep… I've figured out a plan for tomorrow. But it'll be very risky, and you are not going to like it."

Yawning, Téa nuzzled her face against his hand. "Okay… what is it?"

Yami craned his neck forward to kiss the top of her head, his next words he terribly regretted he had to say. "In order for this to work, you will have to take my soul."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Awwwwwwwww...oh O_O

Duel Monster stats! Hooray! I wrote my first (incomplete) duel!

King's Knight - 1600/1400 (effect: When this card is Normal Summoned while you control "Queen's Knight": You can Special Summon 1 "Jack's Knight" from your Deck.)  
Queen's Knight - 1500/1600  
Jack's Knight - 1900/1000  
Classic Celtic Guardian - 1400/1200  
Man-Eater Bug - 450/600 (flip effect: Target a monster on the field: Destroy that target.)  
Beta the Magnet Warrior - 1700/1600  
Divine Dragon Ragnarok - 1500/1000 (description: A legendary dragon sent by the gods as their instrument. Legends say that if provoked, the whole world will sink beneath the sea.)

*Note: most, if not all cards Yami used were actually in his/Yugi's deck during the WTD arc. And, all of Carter's cards, except for a couple exceptions, are either of "normal" or "rare" rarity (as opposed to super-rare and ultra-rare), since he was a hobbyist and not a serious duelist.

My god, writing that duel scene was difficult. Thank you, Duel Links!

Stick around for Interlude V! Please share with your fellow Vices readers, and thanks for waiting so patiently!

xo ALG

 _P.S. If you want to know more of what inspired me for this fic, watch the 'White Bear' episode of "Black Mirror". If you're not familiar with that show, be warned, it's VERY dark and heavy-handed, and this episode might be the most fucked up. It wrecked me upside down. But soooo good._


	10. INTERLUDE V

Hi guys! It's been a while! I wanted to get this interlude out so you have something to tie you over until Part VI (holy crap this is almost done!).

Just to clarify, I'm not intending to make a political statement here; any opinion projected here is by a character, not necessarily by the author. Just trying to write a story.

* * *

 **Vices**  
INTERLUDE V

Dartz stifled a yawn with his fist as he strolled out of the temple, hearing the waves of the ocean crash against the shore of the island. He grew bored of staring at the growing collection of souls inking themselves on his walls, like an invisible pen weaving their likeness onto stone canvas. Not only that, the bright yellow pyre made his eyes sting. He spent too long by himself in a dark room, or a buzzing, beeping office, waiting for his subordinates to do their jobs. As endless intervals of waiting time passed, he felt the Great Leviathan's growing restlessness as his own.

" _Master Dartz, the souls of the Village of Moons have been extracted. They're yours now, sir. We are on route to the Village of Twin Stars."_

 _Good. Another traitor village down. Many, many more to go._

" _Master Dartz, we have still not located the Nameless Pharaoh, or his hostage. We're searching tirelessly for you, sir."_

 _Then shut up and keep looking, and don't call back until he is found. Idiots._

" _Master Dartz, Alaster has located the president of KaibaCorp and wielder of the Fang of Critias, Seto Kaiba. He is in pursuit, sir."_

Yes, he knew all that already. The information was impertinent until he had Kaiba's soul. Or Alaster's. Frankly, it hardly mattered. Alaster was never a favorite of his.

Rafael he favored much more—at least, before his mission failure to obtain the Nameless Pharaoh's soul. Now, he wasn't so sure. If he were honest, he had fully expected him to follow through above all his other subordinates. The giant of a man was headstrong, smart, focused, and just as skilled with his cards as he was with his fists. He had an impenetrable will to live, as proven by his years of solitude on a deserted island, though it had hardened him in unfortunate ways. But, thanks to the sentimentality attached to his Guardian cards, his heart still knew virtue and loyalty; at first he encouraged the then-young-adult Rafael to forget about his guardian monsters, but Rafael was never truly able to do so, and Dartz realized that it was for the better. Rafael's utter mess of a former life shaped him to be the perfect poster child for Dartz's crusade.

And besides, Rafael promised to rectify the situation. He would get the _real_ pharaoh's soul, since his vessel sacrifice was already in his possession. Dartz knew Rafael would make good. Or it would be _his_ soul upon the wall.

Once a king of a great nation, Dartz's life was dictated by duty—in paradise, yes, but sheltered by guards and four walls. But now, with reasonable anonymity—due to the passage of time, and his pursuers not knowing his face—he saw no problem stepping out for a walk through the city, if nothing but for some room to walk around, and for some tacit human interaction.

"Might be the last time," the former Atlantean king muttered to himself, as he stepped into the waiting helicopter on the helipad, "before the mighty Leviathan will sink this place underwater." There was almost a dark, teasing humor to his tone.

Knowing that his unusual appearance would turn some heads, Dartz had taken some time to prepare for his outing for the sake of inconspicuousness: his standard beige cloak to hide his dated clothes, a large hood to cover his voluminous pastel blue hair, and a single blue contact over his green eye to match the hue of his other eye. He knew the heterochromatic colors of his eyes would draw attention he didn't want. He'd done this before. He was quite tired of lying about being "born lucky".

He wasn't. Not even close. And his eyes weren't _always_ that way, anyway.

The helicopter took flight.

* * *

The city felt different today, though the change was not readily apparent. Being surrounded by very cold bay waters, San Francisco carried its usual biting and windy afternoon chill. The clutter of city noise was as dissonant and grating as he remembered. The clouds just as thick, the hills just as steep, the smell just as fishy and gritty.

He noticed it now—orange. Everywhere.

Dartz furrowed his brow, watching every stranger, notably the younger ones, passing him by wearing some fashion piece that was orange in color—and not the subtle shade, but bright and vivid to the point of being boastful. Scarves, hats, bracelets, socks even. It wasn't anywhere near Halloween or Thanksgiving. He found it quite odd, but then again, he'd witnessed many strange trends come and go through the ages.

Most people were sheep. All they needed was a confident shepherd.

With an inward shrug, he carried on his stroll.

With the turn of his heel, Dartz stepped into the Fisherman's Wharf. Even if there were no signs in his view, he very well knew where he was by the crowd of tourists, with cameras hanging off their necks, buzzing about the cold weather. Or perhaps the line for clam chowder. Or even the _smell_ of it.

Similarly, he could determine who in the line for novelty food items was under forty years old, by the brightness of their orange apparel.

Rather than entering the growing line, Dartz opted to cruise along the wharf until he found the Buena Vista café. Unlike many bars, the Buena Vista was quite crowded for a Monday afternoon. While other bars prided themselves on their margaritas or beer selection, Buena Vista sustained their reputation on their Irish coffee. In fact, he remembered that very time in history, in 1916, when this very café introduced the clever coffee cocktail to the city, and eventually the whole country. It stayed nearly the same, never corrupted through the times. He supposed that was why he liked it.

Two young women were at the bar, one of them seated directly next to Dartz. They looked barely old enough to drink; one of them had an orange belt on a black pantsuit, the other wore an orange beanie with a blue blouse and jeans. Even by a modern "artistic" standard, it did look a bit bizarre. It wasn't long before another bar patron, a man at least a decade older than them, approached them.

"Hi ladies, how're you doing?" asked the man confidently.

The girls paused their conversation. The one farthest from Dartz raised her eyebrow. "Fine. Why?"

The man held up his hands defensively. "Whoa, don't need to be rude. I just wanted to tell you that you look really hot in that hat."

Both women looked at each other and scoffed. "Thanks," said the girl referred to.

"It's so bright. Trying to make a statement or something?"

"Um, yeah, haven't you been watching the news?" chimed in her friend. "We're protesting the green nationalist cult bullshit going on in this country right now. There are all these people everywhere, assaulting innocent people for their fake ass god. Orange is the color of the resistance, it's everywhere now."

Dartz nearly choked on his Irish coffee.

'The resistance'? He didn't understand. The resistance… against the Orichalcos?

He very much expected some pushback, but an organized counterforce?

" _Master Dartz, we heard a male screaming at the Village of Sun and we're here to investigate. The village was recently extracted and subdued, and we have found no one so far, sir."_

 _Dartz furrowed his brow. "How likely was the voice you heard was the Nameless Pharaoh's?"_

" _Very likely, sir."_

" _Then search diligently."_

" _We did find something else, Master Dartz. An orange scarf tied to one of the demolished houses."_

 _He fought the urge to scowl. An orange scarf? Really? "What about the scarf is so interesting to you, General?"_

" _It looks like it was tied after the Reaping, sir. Perhaps by the Nameless Pharaoh, if he was here. It seems purposefully fixed. I have reason to believe it is an act of rebellion."_

 _Dartz thought on it for a few seconds, and decided not to worry too much. "Keep searching. Report back when you actually find something of importance."_

How that information, which was only available to him and those working for him directly, was leaked to the public and somehow caused an overnight surge of civilian protest, was something he urgently needed to investigate.

Someone messed up.

"Well, that's cool. I think I have an orange t-shirt from Halloween somewhere in my room."

"Cool."

The man flagged down the bartender to close his tab. When the receipt arrived, he scribbled numbers on the back and pushed it towards the girls. "Well anyway, if you ladies get tired of 'protesting' or whatever and want to go clubbing with me and my friends tonight, gimme a ring."

The woman nearly rolled her eyes, and spoke quite sarcastically. "Oh yeah, we'll do that."

As the man exited the bar, the women smirked at each other as one of them crumpled up the receipt with the man's number.

"What a sad shithead," the other commented, causing both of them to giggle. "Do guys that age still go clubbing?"

With a surge of confidence, Dartz tapped the girl nearest to him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, ladies," Dartz began cordially, "but I couldn't help overhearing that pathetic man demean the value of your protest. I'm dreadfully sorry you had to endure it, and I think it's very brave that you're taking a stand for something you believe in so passionately."

After briefly glancing at each other, the girl closest to him softened her expression and gave him a small smile. "Thank you, that's really sweet."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to know more about this protest you spoke of," Dartz continued. "I'm from far away and I don't know much about what goes on around here."

"Oh of course!" volunteered the girl in the beanie. "It's actually super important right now. All over America we've had these crazy fundies in costumes running around attacking random people and sending them into comas. Everyone's talking about it."

"That's terrible!" Dartz interjected with a feigned reaction of surprise. "But… what are 'fundies'?"

"That's what the resistance started calling these freaks. It's short for fundamentalist, usually the weirdo kind. They all follow this agenda to 'cleanse the world of sin' or something."

"And the police aren't doing anything, either," added in her friend. "As usual, law enforcement is useless. It's up to the people to take a stand."

Inwardly, Dartz smirked. He had America's law enforcement and military on his puppet strings for a long time. He could count on them not to intervene. A sizeable "donation" takes one very far in this country.

"That's disgraceful," Dartz replied. "I hope something can be done about it!"

"You can do something," assured the first girl. "Wear something bright orange. Anything. It shows that you are part of the resistance."

He furrowed his brow. "And?"

She mirrored his expression. "What do you mean, 'and'?"

"What else? After I wear an orange fashion piece, then what do I do?"

To his surprise, the women exchanged confused glances. "I guess that's it," responded the friend.

"You could post on social media," offered the other. "And donate money to the cause."

"But where would that money go?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. To support the cause?"

"How did the color orange come to symbolize the protest?"

"I don't know, actually," murmured the girl. She turned to her friend. "Do you?" The friend shook her head.

"Who is spearheading this protest?"

The girl tossed up her hands in defeat. "Dude, I don't know. Look it up yourself, okay? We're not here to educate you, we're just trying to hang out."

The sudden shift in tone caught Dartz by surprise. He didn't think he was needling them, but it didn't seem to take long before they got strangely defensive. It seemed as though this "resistance" movement was comprised of young pseudo "freedom-fighters" who hadn't a clue of what exactly they were partaking in. He remembered when a resistance was people in the streets, rallying at the risk of injury or death. Even in this country, disenfranchised members of society were on their feet, marching to the capital demanding civil and economic rights. Countries went to war to either achieve independence or protect it. Now it's "social media", and orange hats?

"I apologize if I upset you," Dartz offered. "Good day, ladies."

He took his glass mug and seated himself at the opposite end of the bar. An older bartender with a thick grey-black mustache had just wiped down the counter and tossed the towel under the sink.

"How fuckin' rude," the bartender muttered casually to Dartz. "Right?"

Dartz, still reeling from that odd exchange, didn't expect to be addressed. He set the mug down and nodded, finally feeling the whiskey warm his stomach.

"I mean, how do you expect anyone to get on board if you're going to be such an uptight bitch about it?" the bartender continued.

Dartz quirked an eyebrow. He didn't agree with the usage of such language, but he thought it best to let it go. "They did seem a bit bothered when I started asking them questions," he replied evenly, "I wasn't trying to intrude upon them."

The bartender shook his head as to dismiss his worry. "They're all like that. Every single one of 'em. They're hurting their cause and they're too far up their own asses to know it."

Dartz nodded cautiously. "Attitudes like that can cause a group to fractionate. A proper rebellion requires a united force."

The bartender scoffed. "Don't get me wrong. I want those weirdo green freaks outta here too. But, I mean, who _isn't_ 'rebelling' against something these days? The world just sucks, you know? Get used to it."

As the man left to tend to another customer, Dartz took a long sip, and smirked into his empty glass.

He was right not to be worried.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

*In case you didn't catch it, I was referencing the March on Washington, 1963.

*I'm aware that Dartz is an ancient spirit who probably can't drink. Since the DOMA arc made it pretty unclear whether or not Dartz/Ironheart/Kris had any kind of physical manifestation in the modern world (I mean, they just _evaporate_ at the end of the arc!), I decided to go in this direction either way. Cuz hey, it's fun.

Stay tuned for Part VI!

xo ALG


	11. PART VI: The Sting of His Wrath

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything you recognize. Including Jesus.**

Okay guys, it's been 8 months. I'll be real, I could've spent way more time on this, but the wait was agonizing. Sometimes ya gotta just let it go as is, and trust that it fulfills its purpose. Especially if you want to make it to the finish line.

Lots of references here. Just to remind everyone, I'm not endorsing nor renouncing any religion in particular. Just writing a story.

CW: flogging, cursing, adult themes

* * *

 **Vices** _  
_PART VI: The Sting of His Wrath

 _ting_

 _ting_

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A soft chime tapped at Téa's ears in steady intervals, gently bringing her to the morning. She cracked her eyes open, rubbed them, and blinked at the alarm clock until the numbers were clear—6am. The default setting each alarm clock was set to sound off was 7am, but she luckily remembered to set it back another hour before she went to sleep, so she had time to sneak into her room before everyone else woke up. She sat up and reached over to turn it off, her hand accidentally brushing over two small metal objects on the nightstand. Upon closer examination, she realized they were cufflinks, and the design caught her eye. She picked up one of them and brought it closer to her face.

She'd seen that before…

The green occult-looking insignia, a hexagram inside a circle, was almost impossible to see, considering the only real light she had was from the clock. Whatever it was, it filled her with a dull feeling of danger looming over her. Much like the isolation dome the Seal of Orichalcos created while in one of those horrible, dangerous duels…

She gasped at the recognition and dropped the cufflink on the nightstand, making a rattling sound on the wood. The noise caused her heartbeat to jump, and she quickly checked to see if she'd woken up her companion. Fortunately, Yami was still fast asleep, undisturbed. His bare back was facing her, the blankets down to his waist. His shoulder blades were sharp and spotted with fading scratches and bruises turning green from when they fell from the train, and from his previous altercations. His body rose and fell with each slow, silent breath. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed even more tiny marks along his shoulder and neck, marks that were _not_ there before…

Téa was swept with déjà vu, remembering when she had woken up next to him like this before. It was only three nights ago, but with all that has happened, it felt more like a week had passed. Sighing forlornly, she leaned over and grazed her hand over his right arm. "Pharaoh," she whispered, "I have to go."

Yami didn't stir, only continued to sleep soundly. She hated that she had to interrupt the rest he surely needed, but it was necessary. She kissed his shoulder and tried a bit louder. "Yami." She continued to rub his arm, remembering that same arm pinning her to the door last night, feeling his muscles ripple from the exertion, how it made her ache with desire. She remembered feeling his hard chest heave against hers, tasting his mouth, both of them chasing to cure an insatiable appetite for each other. For a fleeting moment, she imagined them as a couple of many years, slowly rousing on an ordinary morning after a night of impassioned intimacy and thought of how wonderful living in that reality would've been.

She didn't want to think about how his kisses, touches… felt final, like a _goodbye_.

Whether it was for today, or for a day in the future he had to leave everyone, she couldn't know for sure. But it hurt all the same to know her fantasy could never be possible either way.

The pharaoh rolled onto his back at that moment, groaning groggily. Both hands roused from the covers to run over his face. "Good morning," he mumbled hoarsely into his palms.

Well, they weren't saying goodbye yet.

"Good morning," she echoed. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," he answered, rubbing his eyes until they fluttered open. "Did you?"

She nodded, yawning into her hand. "Wish I could sleep a few more hours though."

Yami's head sank further into the pillow. "That would certainly not be allowed."

Téa grumbled. "Yeah." Her eyes wandered to the cufflinks on the nightstand. Yami followed her gaze.

"I know," he agreed with her obvious disdain. "But, trust me, we're going to get out of here. We'll find Joey and Tristan, rescue Yugi and the other trapped souls, and put an end to this nightmare. Perhaps, when this is all over, these people will someday learn how misguided they were."

"A lot has to happen before that," she reminded him as she watched him sit up in the bed. "If this plan backfires…"

He grasped her hand before she finished her thought. "It won't." He held onto her, grazing his thumb over the top of her hand. Téa watched curiously; he had not done that before. Sure, he had held her hand at times, mostly for survival and him learning how to provide physical comfort. But this was different—it was warmth and tenderness she'd never seen from him, unprovoked and sincere. "You were the one who helped me purge my doubt. You can't fall back now. I have faith in you."

Reluctantly, she brought her head down to nod.

"Until then," he murmured, "it would be best to not get attached."

"Is that what you think?" she asked with a smirk, nodding at their still joined hands. Yami returned her smirk, but still didn't release her.

"You know, it's funny," she continued, "you and I treat goodbyes very differently. You detach, to try to make it less painful. But I see it more as an opportunity to put everything on the table."

Yami furrowed his brow. "Put everything on the table?"

"Yeah. It's my chance to be totally honest, you know? If I never saw you again, I'd always regret holding back something I wanted you to know. Or, I'd forever wonder what _you_ wanted _me_ to know. Sure it would still hurt, but it would be worse if we didn't make the most out of the time we have left."

Yami silently mulled over her answer. "I see."

"I guess it's a good thing I've already made it pretty clear how I feel about you."

He nodded. "That you have."

"Well? What about you?"

Silence.

She found his eyes. "Pharaoh… do you feel the same way about me?"

She watched him contemplate how to answer for a moment, clearly conflicted by whatever the answer was. Just as she was about to regret asking the question, he laced his fingers with hers. With a sheepish smile, he met her eyes. A barely perceptible rosiness colored his cheeks and nose. "I'm afraid so."

As much as she wanted to leap into his arms at that moment, she held still. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He sighed heavily. "It means that… I shouldn't."

"What you 'should' or 'shouldn't' feel is not what I asked."

"As we've discussed, there are many reasons why acting on our feelings is not a good idea," he reminded her. "The more we cater to them, the harder this plan will be to execute. Our mission right now is survival, a clean escape, and to rescue Yugi. You already understand this very well, I know you do."

"Then let go of my hand," she challenged playfully.

Yami stared at their hands for a few moments, and eventually let go of hers. "Fine." He sat up and twisted his hips so that he was directly facing her. With both hands, he pulled her face into his and kissed her, long and slow.

Téa's eyelashes fluttered. "Maybe I'm wrong, but I think you actually enjoy kissing me."

Yami smiled. "That's the problem."

She giggled, settling her hands on his shoulders. "Who would've thought the great, powerful pharaoh had such a vice?"

* * *

The people of Church Leviathan might have been complacent in the wake of the silent chaos around them. They might have been polite and pleasant to the point of it feeling odd and creepy. There was really no way of knowing how aware any of them were about anything, what they were willing to tolerate, or ignore, in the name of their 'Savior'.

But, they were certainly punctual. Early, actually. Dozens of men, women, and children were filing into the small theater building by two-thirty in the afternoon. Each member was dressed as if they were going to a special church event—men and boys in suits, women and girls in dresses. Excited chatter filled the courtyard, along with some mild complaints about the warm day. Parents explained to their young children what a 'Holy Offering' ceremony was, while older folks praised young Carter's 'noble sacrifice' and "will there still be air conditioning after the Holy Cleanse?"

Téa was among the first to arrive at the theater. She had to be early, and it had nothing to do with eagerness for the 'Holy Offering'. Rather, it was in anticipation of it. Everything had to go perfectly according to plan—to not only achieve their mission, but prevent harm to everyone.

One American flag stood on either side of the stage. A banner hung wide over the stage sporting big, bold letters: THANK YOU CARTER GREEN! It was, of course, green in color. The whole thing reminded Téa of a military honors ceremony, though the award would be given _before_ the honoree passed. She frowned.

 _Well… my sister was killed a while ago. Killed by a drunk driver._

No. It _had_ to be a coincidence. Green was a common family name… almost as common as drunk driving fatalities. Though she figured it was unlikely that Carter's surname signified a familial resemblance to her late former dance teacher, she still hated the way it looked on the banner, amidst this charade of righteousness, in this dreadful place. It left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Hey, Téa," greeted a small feminine voice from beside her. "What's the matter?"

"Hi Kelley," Téa returned with a smile. She quickly scrambled for a response. "I don't know. I guess I'm sad that Carter's… leaving."

Kelley, in a lilac maxi dress and long blonde ponytail, sat beside her and put a small hand on her shoulder. "Me too. But he's doing it for a good cause. We should be happy for him, and thankful, too."

Téa took a deep breath through her nose, and nodded slowly, avoiding eyes with her.

"I'm excited to hear Yugi speak again," said Kelley, removing her hand. "I know Carter is, too."

"Yeah…" Téa murmured uneasily. She looked out to stage right. Yami, in a black suit with a green tie, was waiting by the steps, holding a single piece of paper. He stood perfectly composed, posture tall, eyes steeled and focused ahead of him. This was exactly the way he looked stepping up to the platform to face Marik in the Battle City Finals. When the stakes were high, when such burden would drag any man to his knees, he didn't let it even sag his shoulders. To others in the room, he appeared disciplined and professional, a willing servant. To her, he was a soldier heading into battle, knowing he might not come back.

She didn't know whether to be proud of him, or afraid for him.

* * *

Yami stayed rigidly in position as Gale walked past him and ascended the steps to the stage. He could feel his own heartbeat drumming against his chest in suspense, his shirt collar constricting on his neck, his tie hugging his throat like a noose. This was nothing new. He always felt like this before a duel. His mind was resolute and determined, even when his body showed signs of nerves and doubt. The pressure of this plan threatened to suffocate him, but the necessity for concentration kept it at bay. He just had to keep concentrating. Even in the face of unprecedented challenge, he had to remain in control. Too many people were counting on him.

Gale stepped up to the podium and grabbed the microphone from its stand. "Brothers and sisters, welcome to our very special Holy Offering ceremony! Please show your love and thanks to our man of the hour, Carter Green!"

Cheers and hollers broke out in the crowd. On stage, Carter smiled nervously and waved.

"And in the spirit of this momentous occasion, our benefactor, and our Great God Leviathan, we all say—"

"We shall begin anew!" the audience proudly chanted back in tandem.

"Unfortunately, Pastor Robert is still receiving care in our hospital wing, and could not be here. He sends us our love, and gives Carter his very best wishes. In his absence, we've asked our guest to speak on his behalf, a new favorite of our community. Please welcome Yugi to the stage!"

Yami entered the stage, his footsteps in perfect rhythm. He set the script on the podium as Gale returned the microphone. The applause he received was light, even reluctant. It was clear that his recently-acquired reputation was still fresh in the minds of nearly every member of the church, and they were simply clapping out of politeness.

He cleared his throat. "Brothers and Sisters," he began. "Today we honor a special young man with a generous heart and soul. On this day last year, Mr. Carter Green approached the clergy announcing that he plans to donate his life force to the Great One's cause. While we'll surely miss him, we applaud him for not only his noble sacrifice, but his faithful and honorable service to our Savior as an earthly man."

On cue, applause and whistles from the crowd echoed in the theater, quite more animated than a few seconds before.

"Carter has served the Great One, and his brothers and sisters with kindness, respect, and dedication unknown to most of mankind. He is a model of purity and light for all humans, and the strength of his soul will aid the purging of our wicked world of sin. His memory will live in the light of a new prosperous era, and he shall eternally live above the clouds to watch over the new world and society we will create together."

Two stony-faced men on either side of Carter stepped forward, wearing black suits like Yami's, each holding an object in their hands covered by a thin green covering. The man nearest Yami removed the sheet, revealing a velvet box which the holder opened to reveal a metal medallion on a green ribbon. Upon the disk was an engraved design of the Orichalcos emblem.

"On behalf of your brothers and sisters of Church Leviathan, I award you the 'Soldier of Heart' Medal for your noble sacrifice. This medal shall remain on your earthly body as a memento of your service to our Great One and His children."

The audience clapped and hollered. Yami carefully removed the medal from the medal box and approached Carter. Because of the staggering height difference, Carter had to bow for Yami to be able to place the ribbon around his neck. He was sure he heard Carter hold back a giggle.

"Please forgive me," Yami whispered to Carter as quietly as he could. He swiftly returned to the podium to avoid seeing Carter's reaction.

Yami checked his notes: [Begin sacrifice ritual.]

He looked up and saw the second man uncovering his object, revealing an Orichalcos stone the size of a tennis ball. The second he set his eyes upon it, a shudder raced down his spine. His palms began to sweat. His heartbeat accelerated. _No... not here... I can't..._

He tore his gaze away to stare at the paper, feeling his mouth dry up. "I-it is time to begin the ritual."

No text was written after this. The ritual presumably carried on without his presiding. It was time to improvise.

The man holding the stone stepped forward. Carter also stepped forward, until his feet were centered in a ring marked on the stage, about two inches thick and four feet in diameter. Shrugging his shoulders rapidly, Carter looked down at the ring and took in a deep breath in preparation. When he looked up to make eye contact with Yami, he took it as a cue.

"Before we continue," Yami spoke into the microphone, his throat tightening, "I have something I'd like to say to you, Carter."

Carter furrowed his brow, confused by the unscheduled interruption.

"You're making a mistake."

The room reacted immediately. Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd. Carter's eyes widened in surprise.

"Carter, I can't let this continue," Yami went on, ignoring the audience noises. "You're a good man, and you've been lied to." He turned towards the people. "You've _all_ been lied to."

Gasps and murmurs rose to cries of shock and dismay. "What is the meaning of this?" a man yelled from the audience.

"Listen, everyone," Yami called to the audience. "You wanted me to speak, and this is what I have to say. This entire thing… the church, the leaders, the Great One… it's all a farce, a lie, a trick to keep you in submission. You are not chosen by any God, your 'Prophet Dartz' and the Leviathan will take each and every one of your souls when given the opportunity!"

More shouts from the church members were hurled at him, but he raised his voice over them. "You must believe me, if the Leviathan destroys the world, there will be _no one_ left! As we speak, Orichalcos Soldiers are stealing countless human souls, destroying homes and burning down entire villages! Innocent men, women, and _children_ are losing their souls to the Leviathan every day, and they will take yours too, if it means more power! If you don't wake up now, they will take your family, your friends—"

"That is _enough_!"

An infuriated Gale stormed onto the stage from the opposite side, crossing in front of Carter.

"Yes, it _is_ enough," Yami shot back, causing her to stop in her tracks, "enough of your deception." He suddenly felt light-headed, his fist clenching on the podium. The stone gleamed from beside him, burning the blood pumping through his veins. Bursts of images flooded his mind of the decimated Village of Sun, and the lifeless bodies of the people he failed to protect. "You claim most of mankind is evil, but you are just as guilty as Dartz and his men! You cause pain and anguish to your own people, all in the name of your God!"

"How _dare_ you!" Gale spat angrily.

"If the right to life is only granted to the righteous, then we are _all_ destined to die!"

"You will pay for your lies and blasphemy, Yugi! You will regret ever attempting this 'rebellion' of yours, I _swear_ you will!"

From the corner of his eye, Yami spotted three familiar guardsmen rushing down the aisles towards the stage. His vision was swimming… the Orichalcos was trying to entice him again, caressing him with warm arms and promises of power. He could feel his words getting sloppy, his muddled mind quickly losing the ability to articulate his thoughts without blinding rage. His time was running out; he had to make his last words count.

"Destroying the world to get rid of evil is not the answer!" he desperately shouted outward, not even bothering with the microphone. "You are all here because you've been hurt, abused, abandoned, and you were given false promises! Wake up and realize the truth: your so-called 'Prophet' Dartz only wants power, and he will abandon you the moment he gets it! He will destroy you all if you don't learn the truth!" Yami bellowed determinedly into the microphone. "Mankind will cease to exist if your 'God' and your 'Prophet' get their way!"

The audience burst into panic. Alarmed cries broke out amongst every man and woman in the crowd, and their children wailed in confusion from the hysteria. Some were still hurling insults at Yami, but he couldn't hear any of them in particular, only the angry tones. Heavy booted footsteps thundered onto the stage, and Yami's arms were forcefully pinned behind him. "Let go of me!" he demanded, though he knew very well how futile it was.

"Yugi, I have no choice," Gale announced into the microphone, "but to declare you a 'Pestilent Person'."

The room went disconcertingly quiet in a manner of seconds.

"A what?" Yami asked, struggling against his binds.

"A 'Pestilent Person' is a sinner, who poses a danger to the other members of the Church," Gale clarified to a still room, "who speaks and acts in a way that impedes the worship of our Great One, the impending Holy Cleansing, or any of our individual or group efforts to better the world."

"Call me anything you wish," Yami spat back, "but it won't make me continue to maintain this ridiculous façade!"

"A 'Pestilent Person' is to be treated as a heretic and has no right to speak to any other members," she responded coolly, "and will be severely punished and quarantined until his spirit is rightly aligned with the spirit of the God Leviathan. If the 'Pestilent Person' cannot be realigned, he will be considered an enemy of the church, and his soul will be extracted."

"This is insane!"

Gale tipped her chin back, as if coming to a realization. "I should've known. I should've seen it sooner. You talk back, you disrespect me, you blaspheme against our Great Savior left and right… I mean, you can't even keep your hands to yourself!"

"What?!"

"You already have demonstrated a problem with boundaries, Yugi, or was the other night with your little 'friend' just an unpleasant dream?"

Anger rose within him again. "That is not what happened at all!"

"Take him away!" Gale commanded with a swish of her hand.

Members of the church rose from their seats to holler at the stage. As Yami was pulled from the podium, he strained to listen to what they were saying, fully expecting shouts of contempt and disbelief. What he heard, however, surprised him.

"What's going on?"

"Is all of this true?"

"We want answers!"

Adult men and women, young and old, swarmed to the stage, each of them furiously attempting to get Gale's attention like a swarm of paparazzi. Rather than condemning 'Yugi', they were demanding explanations.

"What is he talking about, Gale?"

"Did he really attack her?!"

"Should we be worried?"

"You promised us safety and peace! I have children!"

Gale appeared frazzled trying to handle the crowd. "I… we… the Church Leviathan formally apologizes for having a 'Pestilent Person' speak at a formal event! We do not support the vile words he was saying and he does not represent the Church or our Great God!"

Yami managed a glance at Carter, who stared at him with a mix of bewilderment and hurt on his face, before being dragged off the stage. He tried to get a last glance at Téa, but she was already gone.

* * *

"You can beat me until my arm falls off," Yami growled as he struggled against Alec's vice grip. "But I will not yield! Those people deserve to know the truth!"

"Pfft," Rob scoffed, "you ain't going to the sanctuary, kid. This is beyond a slap on the wrist."

"Then where are you taking me?" Yami demanded.

"Where we take heretics," Rob replied with a grim, serious tone. "Not a fun place, for you."

"The Great One commands that heretics be disciplined by the sting of His wrath," Alec recited, "before their souls can be realigned."

The men brought Yami back to the office in the back of the sanctuary. He was led through a door by the bookshelf, a door he hadn't noticed before, and led down a dark, narrow staircase until they arrived at the first door. The room, with stone walls and floor, was quite dim, lit only by a small, blue-tinted lamp by the door. Aside from a tall wooden chest of drawers against the far wall, the only other object in the room was a single pillar in the center, about half a meter wide and nearly half as tall as the high ceiling. Upon closer inspection, Yami could see a sculpted serpent's head curving from the top of the pillar, and the detailed carvings of scales upon the body.

Yami was roughly shoved into the room, finally free from Alec's hold. "Remove your jacket and shirt," Alec ordered.

"No," Yami refused as he regained his balance. Within seconds, he was in Alec's tight grip again.

"You're _still_ makin' this difficult?" Rob huffed. "Geez!"

With Alec restraining him, and with Clark's help, Rob was able to remove the suit jacket and shirt, plowing his fist into Yami's stomach when he writhed in protest. Now shirtless and freshly bruised, Yami was dragged to the pillar. His arms were forced around the pillar, and his wrists were tightly bound together with thick rope, exposing his bare back to the cold room.

"Dude, check this out," said Clark, running his finger along Yami's neck as he squirmed. "Looks like someone had Yugi for dinner last night."

Rob snickered. "Eh? Who's the lucky girl?" He slapped Yami on the back.

Clark nudged Rob in the ribs. "I think you mean 'hungry' girl! Are they not feeding her enough or what?"

"Was it that Téa girl? He _was_ in her room the other night. Maybe they got into a little… midnight mischief?"

"Hell no, she wants nothing to do with him."

"Maybe it was Kelley, she was totally sweet on 'im."

"Not anymore, I bet!"

Yami growled angrily. "That's enough!"

"Don't worry man, women _love_ scars," Rob taunted. "Not that it'll matter now." He and Clark shared an amused laugh, as if over an inside joke.

Yami turned his head as far as his restraints would allow. "Scars? What are you talking about? What are you going to do?"

"You're about to find out," Clark refused his inquiry, still amused. "You are about to learn a hard lesson, punk!"

"Clark, quit yelling at him," a woman's voice pierced the room. Gale herself was surprisingly calm and collected, considering how livid she was a few minutes ago. "Yugi," she addressed, with an odd formality to her tone.

Yami heard the door close behind her. "Gale, this isn't right. Release me."

"I'm so very disappointed in you, Yugi," Gale chastised. "You ruined Carter's Holy Offering ceremony, _and_ you've caused quite an upset in the process. Where do you get off sabotaging a holy ceremony and causing a panic like that?"

"He was about to give up his soul to the Leviathan!" Yami protested. "And aid the destruction of mankind!"

"Precisely! We were honoring him for such a noble sacrifice, but you went and derailed the entire thing." She tapped her foot. "As you can imagine, he is quite unhappy, as is the Great One."

He turned his neck as far as it would go. "Carter is still here. That is more important to me."

"How _noble_ of you," Gale replied, with a sarcastic tone that sounded like she was rolling her eyes. "No one likes a 'Pestilent Person'."

"Is that right?" asked Yami, "or is that the opinion you force upon them?"

"It is simply the way our Great One governs us. It is our duty to seek His wisdom and obey His orders."

Yami grunted in disapproval. "They should be able to decide for themselves."

"And you know what, Yugi?" Gale snapped, "They _did_ decide for themselves, alright? I didn't force them to come here and obey me! They came here, crawling from wherever in this rotten world they'd been made to suffer, and _chose_ to pay respects to the Great God who created them, who will reward them for their devotion! He, in all His greatness and power, will give them a brand-new world to start over from, to give them the hope, love, and light they were denied by the darkness of man!"

Yami paused to absorb her words before answering. "And you truly believe that? With all your heart and soul?"

"Absolutely I do."

"You'd wager your own life on that belief?"

"In a heartbeat," she attested.

"What about Anthea? Would you bet her life, as well?"

She stammered. "Are you _threatening_ my granddaughter, Yugi?"

"I will beat you bloody, punk!" Rob snarled.

"Rob, stop it," Gale reprimanded.

"I am not threatening anyone," Yami defended. "You, however, are avoiding my question."

A few seconds of silence passed as Gale handed something to Rob. "Here you go, Rob," she said. "Ten lashes. When you're done, send him downstairs. I'm going back to the theater to do some damage control."

" _Lashes_?"

"Heretics must be disciplined by the sting of His wrath before their souls can be realigned," Gale recited.

Yami chuckled quietly. "I knew it."

Gale paused. "Knew what?"

"You seem to never be around for the punishments you sentence your 'brothers and sisters', to, and now I know why."

"Oh?"

"I can't believe I hadn't noticed it earlier. Now, it's quite clear to me. You're a coward."

"Hey!"

"Stand _down_ , Rob. I swear, every day you're turning back into the wild mutt you were when you first came here. Have I not trained you to control your temper?"

Rob growled in defeat. "Yes ma'am."

Gale's footsteps drew closer to Yami. "Yugi. You say I'm a coward. Why?"

"You deliver punishment for redemption, but you always leave the room before the sentence is carried out. I realize now that it's because you can't stand to watch. I think it's because you _know_ what you're allowing to happen is barbaric."

"It is not my place to sully my hands with the blood of sinners," Gale responded unevenly. "I have been given authority by Prophet Dartz, my duty is to oversee."

"You don't over _see_ anything," Yami argued. "The other night, when you ordered my punishment… from the moment you walked out, I was not only struck, as per your orders… but I was also beaten, taunted, and ridiculed. If you were there, would you have allowed all that to happen?"

"Anything Rob, Clark, and Alec deem necessary to ensure that you serve your sentence, and achieve redemption, is warranted under the Great One's governance." Her voice wavered. "Besides, you have no idea if what you're saying is even true."

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it," he argued. "When you _are_ in the room, Rob can't even speak to me a certain way without you correcting him. When you're not in the room, he and the others speak and act much worse than you bother to correct, and certainly worse than I, a 'Pestilent Person' have done. I doubt you, or your 'God' would sanction this treatment of his children."

"I suppose you can call it 'tough love'. Finding your way to a pure and worthy soul isn't all kisses and roses, you know."

He scoffed. "You can't be serious. This is cruel, and you know it. You know it so well that you transfer the deed to your subordinates."

"You're… you're bluffing," she said uneasily.

"Do I look like I'm in a position to bluff?" he asked, pulling at his restraints to emphasize his point.

"You're in a position where bluffing is all you have left." Heeled footsteps drew nearer, now giving them merely three feet of distance apart. "I saw the duel disk on your arm when you arrived here. You're a duelist, aren't you? I may not play, but I know enough about how the game works. If you take out all the fantasy folklore, all you've got is an elaborate game of poker. If you're any good at it, you know how to bluff."

"Duel monsters are _not_ folklore!" Yami shouted angrily. "They are real, living souls! The game is infused with the souls of monsters in the monster realm! Because of your 'God', these monsters' very existence is being threatened! This is not a game anymore, it's the lives of so many at stake—people and monsters alike!"

"I've heard enough of this childish nonsense," Gale waved him off. "You might still be a child, but you are apparently old enough to cause a great deal of trouble. As I said before, you have a big problem with boundaries and respect for authority, something that can blossom into sins much worse when left unchecked." She hummed thoughtfully. "Lucky for you, you're at a place where the people are committed to thorough and effective rehabilitation. If there's anything left of you to save from your own sinner's heart after today, we will certainly see to your salvation.

"Accept your punishment and begin your path to redemption for your callous disrespect. By His grace, you may grow out of your evil influences and see His light."

"I _will_ accept your punishment," Yami bargained, "only if _you_ are the one to carry it out yourself."

She scoffed. "Absolutely not."

"Why not? If the Leviathan needs me punished for my wrongdoings, why does it matter who holds the whip?"

"I will not take part in this. I will leave this to Rob."

Despite the growing tension in the room, Yami couldn't help but smirk. "You're proving me right, Gale. You are starting to feel the weight of your actions. I can hear it in your voice."

"Keep running your mouth," Gale warned, "and I'll double your punishment."

"A good duelist can not only bluff, but they can also sense when their opponent is forced to improvise."

"Don't get cocky. Arrogance is a sin, remember that."

 _Well well, Rafael. It looks like I've played you into a corner. Your guardian monsters are no match for me. You should have never given me the Seal of Orichalcos, for now you face the only duelist who can truly tap into its power!_

Yami leaned his forehead on the pillar and laughed despite himself. "If that's true, then I might be a goner."

"Give me that!" Gale demanded, snatching the whip from Rob. She unfurled it, testing the handle in her hand—which she realized was shaking. "I'm glad this is all so _funny_ to you, Yugi. You're a foolish young man, and what I can only assume to be a mediocre duelist. You're about to feel the 'weight' of your failed bluff, and I guarantee you won't be laughing for long. May the Great One guide you to a purer, more faithful soul through this painful lesson."

Yami's heart began to race as he realized what was about to happen. He inhaled a deep breath, shut his eyes, and braced himself. If he could take a fire cannon attack from a God Monster, he could take a whip, couldn't he? A few moments passed, and nothing came. He turned his head again—out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gale fuming at him, eyes wide and nostrils flaring. She still held the whip in her hand, having yet to raise it.

"Gale?" Rob asked carefully.

"Shush," she snapped, rolling her neck. "I'm just preparing myself."

Yami turned his head around again. He heard Gale huff a long preparatory breath, a labored grunt, and the tail of the whip slicing through the air. The next thing he could register was a sharp pain ripping over his back, paralyzing the rest of his body. All he could do was press his forehead to the pillar and scream as the waxed leather left a six-inch trail from his shoulder blade to his lower back. Once Yami could finally move, he struggled against his restraints—if anything, just to distract himself from his back feeling like it was on fire. He felt blood trickle down his lower back, and silently apologized to Yugi for damaging his vessel again.

The room fell silent, except for Gale's exasperated breaths and Yami's groaning in pain. Even the three guards were speechless. The next sound Yami heard made him flinch—the handle of the whip hitting the cement floor, setting off a dull echo in the room.

"Patch him up and take him to a holding cell," Gale ordered, her voice shaking.

"Uh…?"

"Just do it," she barked at Clark. "We will postpone Carter's ceremony until Yugi is well enough to attend. See to it that he has food and proper medical care. Allow him no contact with any other members."

"Yes ma'am," came Alec's stoic reply.

Gale turned on her heels and stormed at the door on hurried footsteps. She froze in the doorway, and turned halfway back. "One more thing… if I _ever_ hear of any of you treating our brothers and sisters with such cruelty, even while you discipline them, I will have _you_ strapped to that pillar as well. All of you." She slammed the door behind her, filling the room with the sharp echo.

"Damn," Clark finally said after the noise dissipated.

"What just happened?" asked Rob, standing by the door.

"Shut up and follow your orders," Alec commanded gruffly, stepping up to the pillar to untie Yami's hands. "And nothing _but_ your orders. Get him a shirt. Gale will not want the dress shirt stained."

"Mom always said you were the crankiest out of the three of us," Clark murmured, retrieving the garment from the chest of drawers. "And the bossiest, too."

"Don't talk about that bitch around me," Alec snarled.

"Dude, it's Mom," Rob tried to reason. "Don't call her a bitch."

"She's not my mother. Not anymore."

Clark tossed the shirt at Yami without taking his eyes off of Alec. "Look, maybe she'll come around. Just give her time."

"I don't know why you keep saying that, as if she didn't screw _you_ over as well," he growled. "I'd rather wait until she is Cleansed, like the rest of 'em. Then maybe I can find a new mother, who can at least tolerate having a gay son. Or maybe I don't need one anymore. Didn't need a father, why would I need a mother?"

He looked at Yami, who was watching him quietly. "The hell are you lookin' at? You ain't my type."

"No," Yami calmly replied, "I'm looking at you, and your pain. It makes sense now."

"What makes sense?"

Yami winced in pain as he pulled the shirt over his head. "You were rejected by your family, and you came to this Church to be accepted, right?"

"By rejected, you mean cursed at and kicked out of my own home, yes." Alec's face tensed with resentment. "I was angry and lost. Gale brought me in and helped me turn my anger and pain into strength, and strength into power. She told me people like my mother didn't deserve children like me, and she will get her due punishment, so long as the Church has my dedication, if I used my power for good. I will always serve her, the Church Leviathan, and the Almighty Great One with all of my soul."

"We stood by him," added Rob, motioning to Clark and himself. "We said, either Alec stays, or we _all_ go. We're brothers, and you can't separate us."

"So she kicked us _all_ out," Clark chimed in, twitching his lips. "Said fine, she couldn't afford to feed all of us anyway, ever since our dad went to prison and stopped paying child support. At fourteen, fifteen, and seventeen years old, we were told we're burdens and better off fending for ourselves."

"That's very admirable of you to stay together," Yami commented, "even when faced with homelessness."

With an annoyed grunt, Alec pulled Yami's hands behind him and re-wound the rope around his wrists, ignoring his pained grunts. "You, stop talking. You have been declared a 'Pestilent Person', you have no right to speak unless spoken to."

* * *

Gale rushed through the office and out of the building. She turned the corner, confronted by the eastern region of Shifter's Valley. There, at the entrance, an illusion of Yami restrained to a tree appeared before her. The tail of the whip came down on him that seemed to cause the earth to tremor. She watched the skin tear, the blood seep down peeling flesh. She saw muscles tense as the body absorbed the trauma. She heard the scream, the strained cry of suffering.

 _Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do._

Suddenly nauseated, the elder collapsed to her knees and gagged into her mouth, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Gale," a guard approached her—the fourth man, Charles. "I have terrible news, ma'am."

Gale quickly wiped her eyes. "What is it _now_?"

"Anthea… she's nowhere to be found. We're looking everywhere."

* * *

"Anthea!" Téa called in the theater. Her voice was easily drowned out by the noise at the stage as Yami was led away, so she didn't count on Anthea hearing her, or on her being able to hear a response. The girl was nowhere in sight. She had carefully kept her eye on Anthea periodically throughout the ceremony and was angry that she might've escaped her grasp anyway.

She called again, to no avail. Checking to make sure everyone was distracted, she ran outside the theater, scanning the courtyard and windows on buildings for the girl. She ran to the dormitory, knocking on all doors with no answer. She finally came upon her own door, and entered. On her nightstand, a small piece of notebook paper set beside her lamp. Its seams were ripped haphazardly, and the handwriting scribbled on it was uneven and barely legible—whoever left this was in a hurry.

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

 _Dear Téa, I know you were trying to protect me, but you don't_

 _have to worry now. I will be safe. I'm going to go see Grandpa._

 _I believe in you. Anthea_

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

"No!" Téa yelped. She looked for a pocket to stash the paper in, but her white blouse and pink ankle-length skirt had no such convenience. Scowling in frustration, she finally stuffed the note in her bra, almost inclined to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, and raced out the door and towards the entrance of the sanctuary, where they'd first met Gale upon the steps. She stared off into the trees of Shifter's Valley, looking for any sign of human movement.

"Anthea… are you seriously gone?" she whispered into the empty forest. "If you had just waited… we could've kept you safe." She clenched her fists. She should've been relieved that Anthea left the very threatening situation she and Yami were trying to protect her from. But, a girl her age, travelling alone at a time of such unrest… was she really safer?

 _I'm going to go see Grandpa._

Where _was_ her grandfather? Perhaps he and Gale were separated, but how far must the girl travel to get to him? Was he out there, looking for her too?

Téa released an exasperated sigh. She never gave up on someone so easily, and she couldn't start now. She sprinted straight ahead into the forest, eyes scanning the trees and the abyss beyond them, looking for any sign of the small girl, any flicker of movement that would at least give her a direction to go in. The forest spread wide and far, and the only thing she knew was the church behind her.

"Anthea!" she called again.

" _Look Téa, I get it. I really do. You like the Other Me, the other personality that resides within me."_

Surprised, Téa stopped dead in her tracks. That voice in her head… it sounded _exactly_ like Yugi! She looked around, finding only the forest she was weaving through to find Anthea. There was no one else as far as she could see in any direction. But his voice was real, just as clear as the uninvited memories playing in her head.

" _Of course you do, he's so much stronger, braver, manlier than me. He's just… better in every way. You can trust him to protect you. Every girl wants that. I get it."_

Téa shut her eyes and covered them with her hands. She could feel the magic of the forest probing her mind for the most painful memories, filling her mind's eye with a face she'd never forget—Yugi failing to hide his disappointment as he offered to "bow out" so she could talk to the personality she liked better. She insisted that it didn't matter which "Yugi" she was talking to, that he was just fine. And she had even grabbed his hand in that moment, to further reassure him.

Her clenched eyes warmed with the onset of tears. She wasn't being completely honest with him. And though she wasn't quite sure what her heart was up against, she knew it didn't totally support the words tumbling from her mouth. She was _desperate_ to meet this Spirit, the "other Yugi" as they understood him back then. Not because he was "better" than her Yugi, but she wanted to thank him, and to hear his voice. The voice she heard when she knew she was going to be alright.

But she couldn't do it. She couldn't outright ask that of Yugi. What kind of friend would she be?

Instead, she _lied_ to Yugi, which decidedly made her a much worse friend than if she had simply been straight with him in the first place. And now Shifter's Valley was going to drown her in the guilt she suppressed for too long. As she raised her foot to take another step, Yugi's voice sounded off again, bouncing between her ears like a ringing echo.

" _Téa…"_

His voice was layered with conflicting emotions—as if daring to believe her, and begging for the real truth. It hurt so much to hear it, Téa collapsed to her knees, holding back the tears trapped in her eyes.

 _I love you. Damnit… I love you Pharaoh._

 _I want you to touch me, Yami. I need you to._

"Yugi, I'm sorry!" she choked. "How could I be so cruel to you? You deserve so much better than me. How can you love someone like me?" In a sudden burst of rage, she struck her fist against the forest floor. "How can you love such a fucking _whore_?"

She gasped, losing her balance and falling backwards onto her rear. _Whore_? She had never used such a degrading word against herself before. Sure, she'd been called a whore at school, but that's what happened when a girl was believed to be interested in more than one boy in a given school year, whether or not it was true. She tended to let the gossip and petty name-calling roll off her back, but was shocked to feel the word shoot out of her own mouth, especially aimed so spitefully at herself. She was being bested by her suppressed guilt, and she hated what it did to her. She suddenly empathized with Yami a bit more.

"Wow, I must really be losing it," she muttered.

Téa rose to her feet, wiping her eyes until they were dry. She nearly forgot what she was here for, what her mission was, almost distracted by the emotional mess of her unconscious mind. She couldn't apologize to Yugi yet; he had to be rescued first. But Anthea, she was afraid, was already too far gone. If she dared venture further to find her, she could get lost, or worse—recognized. They'd probably force her to lead them back to Yami. But the time just wasn't quite right.

"Please," she pleaded Anthea, "wherever you are, be safe and stay strong."

Spinning on her heels, the dancer sprinted back to the church. Onto the next task. There was something, and someone else she had to find.

* * *

Clark, with Yami in tow, shuffled down a dark staircase that spiraled endlessly into the underground. Lighting the way were several torches in ornamental wall sconces. Upon the smooth stone walls were many etchings of serpents, of varying size and length, drawn in black ink. Weaving into the artwork were various phrases of words inscribed along the tails. Looking closer in the low light, Yami realized that they were scriptures.

 **LOOK TO THE GREAT ONE FOR ANSWERS, FOR LIGHT, FOR LOVE.**

 **BELIEVE IN THE GREAT ONE WITH ALL YOUR HEART; YOUR SOUL SHALL BE SAVED WHILST THE HERETICS BE DAMNED.**

 **A MAN'S BODY IS BUILT STRONG, TO FIGHT, PROTECT; A WOMAN'S BODY IS BUILT BEAUTIFUL, TO BE PROTECTED, TREASURED.**

 **MARRIAGE IS THE HOLIEST UNION BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN, FOR THEY MAY NOW SHARE A BED AS JOINED FLESH, HEART, AND SOUL.**

 **IF THE GREAT ONE IS IN YOUR HEART, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR IN HIM.**

 **LOVE ONLY THE CHILDREN WHOSE HEARTS MAY BE STEERED TO LIGHT, FOR A TRULY WICKED HEART MUST BE SACRIFICED.**

And, finally, above a single white door at the bottom of the stairwell:

 **A HEART FULL OF LIGHT SHALL WITHSTAND THE DARKEST OF HOURS. A HEART OVERFLOWING WITH LIGHT SHALL GUIDE THOSE WHO ARE LOST.**

They finally arrived at what looked like a small underground penitentiary with grey cement walls and floors, bare and plain from top to bottom. Yami could only see two rows of six cells facing the center, most of which appeared unoccupied. Each eight-by-ten cell contained only a simple twin-sized bed with plain grey sheets, and a single, exposed toilet on the other side. Yami, dressed in a plain green long-sleeved shirt and his bloodstained suit pants, was led to the back-left cell and pushed inside. Clark closed the barred door and locked it with one of many keys shingling on a large key ring.

"A physician will be down shortly to tend to your medical needs," he told Yami stonily. "And Anthea will bring your dinner in a couple of hours."

"It sounds like you're going to have to start treating your people a bit better," Yami remarked with a smirk.

"Good thing for you," Clark sneered, "'cause I'd beat the piss outta you otherwise."

Unfazed by his threats, Yami quirked an eyebrow. "That's some 'New World' gospel if I've ever heard it."

Clark scoffed at him. "Smart ass." He tauntingly swung the large key ring around on his finger and left.

Yami sat on the bed, taking in his surroundings. There wasn't much to look at, except the water stains on the toilet and dirt on the austere wall. He tried to lean against the wall behind him, but his back was still tender from the lash. Hissing in pain, he leaned forward instead, resting his forearms on his knees, closing his eyes and riding the wave of pain until it passed. After all the confusion and mayhem, the quiet actually felt nice.

Now, it was up to Téa to take the lead on the next phase.

"Jerk," snapped a male voice from inside the prison. Surprised at having company, Yami searched for the voice, and discovered that the cell across from him was occupied, the inhabitant sitting on the floor and leaning his back against the stone wall behind him. Most of him, including his face, was obscured by shadow and his lowered head. He looked large in build, with stringy hair sitting just past his shoulder. He vaguely looked familiar, _sounded_ familiar…

"What're you in for?" the man asked without budging from his position.

Yami wasn't exactly in the mood to have a conversation with a stranger, but he figured he might as well keep a pleasant air with whoever would be his sole company for a while. "Heresy, rebellion, abuse of position of trust, inducing panic," he answered, still trying to get a better look at his fellow 'prisoner', "and others, I'm sure."

"Pestilent Person?" he asked, heavily pronouncing his consonants as if to mock the term itself.

"Yes."

"Huh." The man casually crossed one leg over the other. "You don't seem very pestilent. Let me guess, she called you 'tenacious' first, right?"

 _My goodness, you are tenacious, aren't you?_

"Yes," Yami responded carefully.

"Tried to get to know you? In a weird, forward way?"

 _Do you like girls, Yugi?_

"Then had you beaten with a little stick?"

"Yes. Seems that she has a system for this."

The man laughed bitterly. "This whole thing is systemized. Like clockwork. Food's good, though, gotta give 'em that."

Yami peered at his companion a bit closer. "What about you, why are you here?"

"Damned if I know," replied the man. He finally slowly raised his head. The faint light from a nearby torch revealed a bandage, spotted of dried blood, taped over the bridge of his nose.

* * *

"Unbelievable!"

A rolling chair was thrown to the floor, its cushion bouncing off the tile. The room fell to a deafening, disconcerting silence as the CEO of Paradius paced angrily about the control room.

"From this point on, no one will disturb me until they have a _definitive_ lead on the whereabouts of the pharaoh! The next person who dares utter the words 'orange scarf' to me will immediately forfeit their soul!"

A soft chorus of "yes sir" pattered around the room before Dartz dismissed his general and his team with a whip of his arm. "Get out!"

As the room emptied, Dartz pulled up the chair to its original position and, despite his aggravated state, gracefully lowered himself into the seat. Crossing one knee over the other, he released an exasperated sigh and rubbed his eyes with his hands. This search was far more exhaustive than he could've ever imagined. He waited a nearly endless passage of time to even exist in the same _era_ as the pharaoh, let alone be so close to finally capturing him and extracting the one soul the Leviathan thirsted for the most. And yet, a simple, unforeseen train crash had miserably derailed his mission.

If the opportunity passed him by, he would surely go mad.

"Master Dartz," called a familiar deep, raspy voice, breaking his thoughts.

Dartz spun his chair around to face his henchman, groaning irritably. "This better be good, Rafael."

The biker respectfully strode forward, his posture straight and his enormous chest swelled with pride. "It is, sir. The pharaoh has been sighted."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit it's about to go down!

Interlude VI coming up!


End file.
